Dengue: Centre orders action for overcharging for tests

Union health ministry on Monday directed the Delhi government to take action against private hospitals which are overcharging for conducting dengue tests.

In a review meeting held with the hospital authorities, following the rise in the number of dengue cases, union Health Minister J.P. Nadda also instructed all hospitals -- private and Delhi government hospitals -- to increase the number of beds for dengue patients.

It was also decided at the meeting that testing kits should be taken only from the government designated laboratories and hospitals.

"Adequate stocks of NSI and IgM testing kits to detect dengue cases are available with identified 514 sentinels surveillance hospitals and apex referral laboratories, whose list is updated on the health ministry website," the health ministry said in a statement.

"People are requested to undergo or buy kits from there only," it said.

The national capital has witnessed over 1,200 dengue cases this year, with five deaths.

Though the dengue tests are being conducted free of cost at government hospitals, some private hospital are charging more than Rs.10,000 for these tests. This is despite the government's direction for private hospitals to not charge over Rs.2,000, a Delhi government official said.