NHRC issues notices to Centre, Delhi Government on dengue deaths

The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports that despite the instructions of the Government of NCT of Delhi, private hospitals denied admission to two child patients of dengue due to which they died. According to media reports, the city was grappling with the worst dengue crisis in 15 years.

Reportedly, a six-year old boy, Aman Sharma, was denied admission in Max Hospital, Saket and Moolchand Hospital before reaching Batra Hospital, where he died on the 13th September, 2015. Another child suffering from dengue had died on the 8th September, 2015 and unable to bear the loss, his parents reportedly committed suicide.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the press reports, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of victim children and other patients. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Secretary, Department of Health, Government of NCT of Delhi calling for reports within two weeks.

The authorities have also been directed to specify in their reports, the action taken against the erring hospitals and nursing homes denying admission to dengue patients, besides the short term and long term measures proposed for prevention and treatment of the disease in Delhi including details on ex-gratia payment scheme formulated by the Government for deaths due to such negligence by hospitals.