Haryana bars private hospitals from listing patient as dengue-hit

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday said private hospitals cannot declare a patient as having dengue until that person's blood sample tests conducted at any government-run hospital confirm it to be positive.

The government would soon issue a notification in this regard, he said, adding that few private hospitals in Haryana were confirming dengue fever on the basis of reports based on their own lab tests.

There have been reports that a few private hospitals are spreading dengue scare to earn more from patients suffering from simple viral fever.

The minister said the state government would soon issue a notification following which no private hospital would be allowed to claim a person to be dengue patient until it was confirmed by civil hospital test reports.

After a meeting with senior administrative and health officials, the minister told media that the hospitals, some of them well-known, were reportedly treating normal viral fever patients for dengue to make money.

Platelets treatment costs at least Rs.70,000 per patient.

The minister said the Gurgaon district administration has prepared a list of volunteers, who are ready to donate blood and their list is available on the website of district administration-Awww.gurgaon.gov.in, which gives the names of registered donors with their mobile numbers, blood group, addresses.

One could easily see whether donor of any group was available or not, Vij said, adding that one could also register himself or herself as donor by clicking on 'drive against dengue' on this website.

He directed Gurgaon civil surgeon to follow the medical reports of dengue patients being treated at private hospitals and check if patient recovered well, if not, where such patients were referred.

He said over 750 samples were taken for tests in civil hospital in Gurgaon, of which 25 reported positive for dengue.

In private hospitals, more than 200 dengue patients are being treated for dengue. Over 2,000 suspected dengue patients are being treated in various private hospitals here.