With more than 1800 cases being reported so far, Delhi is battling its worst dengue crisis in five years. Concerned over the rising cases of dengue being reported from the national capital, the Delhi High Court has demanded a status report from the Centre and State government in the matter and has asked them to step up measures to combat dengue.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath also issued a notice to New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and all Municipal Corporation Of Delhi (MCD) regarding the rise in cases of the vector-borne disease.
Terming it as a serious issue, the bench issued notice to Centre, Delhi government, municipal corporations and NDMC directing them to file a short affidavit before September 24.
The court, meanwhile, refrained from ordering lodging of an FIR against directors of hospitals which denied treatment to a seven-year-old boy who died of dengue and whose parents subsequently committed suicide.
The plea seeking lodging of FIR was filed by law student Gauri Grover contending that the boy died due to the callous attitude of hospitals. The court, however, asked the petitioner's counsel Satya Ranjan Swain to produce additional documents showing the specific negligence on the part of hospitals.
The court, which issued notices, said the petitioner should have researched more before filing the present PIL as there were other writ petitions filed earlier in this regard.
Meanwhile, senior standing counsel Rahul Mehra, appearing for Delhi government, informed the court that they have taken adequate steps to treat dengue patients and are also in the process of increasing the number of beds in private hospitals.
The petition has contended that the suicide note left by the parents of the child "clearly establishes that they were prompted to commit suicide due to the callous attitude of hospital authorities which led to death of their only son. The act of the hospital authorities clearly falls under section 306 (abetment of suicide) of Indian Penal Code," the petition said.
It sought that the Centre and Delhi government be directed to declare dengue an epidemic and issue necessary directions that no hospital shall refuse to admit dengue patients.
The death toll due to the disease in the national capital has crossed 11.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Health Minister Satyendra Jain had have been carrying out surprise checks at hospitals in the capital. The Chief Minister also said that his government is planning to bring in a law under which private hospitals refusing admission to emergency patients could be penalised.
"We are planning to come out with a law so that hospitals refusing treatment to an emergency patient can be penalised. In the next couple of days, we will call a special session of the Legislative Assembly to bring in the law," Kejriwal had said.
Five-year-old boy Aman, who was refused admission for treatment by five hospitals, lost his fight to dengue. His parents first took him to the premiere Safdarjung hospital which turned him away saying the boy only had a mild case of dengue.
When Aman came back home, his condition worsened and, therefore, his parents took him to Jeevan hospital where after 48 hours of admitting him, the hospital said that it didn't have adequate infrastructure.
Aman's frantic parents then took him to Moolchand hospital which referred him to another hospital, citing lack of beds. Aman's parents then called up Max and Batra hospitals, and were given the same excuse - there weren't enough beds. So Aman's parents took him back to Safdarjung hospital where they claim his admission card wasn't made. Aman's parents finally took him to Holy Family Hospital where the boy lost his life.
In another instance, on September 8, seven-year-old Avinash Rout had died due to the vector-borne disease after allegedly being turned away by five hospitals which had driven his parents to suicide.
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