Dengue menace: Govt hospitals asked to open Fever Clinics

New Delhi: Amid rising cases of dengue, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain Monday ordered all government hospitals to open 'Fever Clinics' at their premises to detect the disease at the primary level and asked top health and administrative officers to take preventive steps.

Jain stressed that people should get admitted to hospital only after consulting a doctor and not out of panic.

In a today's meeting with district magistrates, all chief district medical officers (CDMOs) and regional health directors along with heath secretary and director general of health services, the minister said the priority was to ensure that there is no panic about dengue in the capital.

"For example, in Ambedkar Hospital, 426 people were hospitalised due to fever and out of which, less than 200 people tested for dengue. There should be no self medication among the masses. Self medication is one major problem. There should be no panic about the disease," Jain said here.

The health minister said suspected dengue patients should get themselves tested only in government hospitals as far as possible because test is free of cost and reports come within two hours.

He also appealed to people to leave the issue of admission in hospitals to the doctors and not insist on admission.

"I have ordered all government hospitals that they should not refuse to admit dengue patients even if they have to treat two patients on a single bed. Admission of patients to hospital should be left to doctors," Jain said.

Later in the day, Jain will have a meeting with commissioners of the three municipal corporations over complaints of the "lack" of fumigation or delay in ensuring of the same in residential and market areas here.

Yesterday, the Delhi government ordered that 1,000 new beds be bought to accommodate dengue patients in the wake of the suicide by the parents of a boy who died of the disease allegedly after being refused admission to several hospitals.