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Dengue death is official only if patients die in select hospitals

Durgesh Nandan Jha,TNN | Oct 1, 2015, 07.43 AM IST

NEW DELHI: You have to die in one of the 33 sentinel hospitals, public hospitals that have been designated for dengue care in Delhi, to be counted among the "official" deaths reported by the municipal corporations.

Those who succumb to the mosquito-borne disease while undergoing treatment at other hospitals or nursing homes are less likely to figure in the list.

This is because the civic body which is responsible for notifying dengue cases from across the city depends mainly on the reports sent from these hospitals and few private others to prepare its weekly report.

Delhi has more than 1,100 health institutions. More than 1,000 hospitals and nursing homes do not send details of dengue patients admitted to their hospital or those who succumb to the disease. Also, the corporations reject many reports because rapid kit tests performed at most private hospitals and nursing homes to confirm dengue, is not acceptable according to government norms.

Top officials of North Corporation said they have raised the issue of many hospitals not reporting dengue cases to the state authorities but to no effect. "Health is a state subject.The private hospitals, nursing homes and even those run by the Centre do not come under our jurisdiction. We do not have powers to prosecute the hospitals for not notifying dengue or conducting the wrong test," said Dr D K Seth, director, hospital administration at North Corporation.

"Only IgM Elisa and NS1Ag Elisa are acceptable as confirmatory tests for dengue. Less than 5% of death reports that are sent to us fall under this category," Dr Seth said.

According to the corporations, only 17 people have died due to dengue this season and a total of 5,982 cases have been confirmed. This is when the city is facing an outbreak and till a week ago all hospitals were flooded with patients seeking treatment for dengue.

The Delhi government had to cancel the leaves of all doctors and paramedical staff to deal with the rush and special fever clinics were started across the city.

Public health experts say in the case of dengue, due to media attention, some of the deaths occurring in private hospitals are being notified too. But malaria cases are neglected totally. "The three corporations that claim less than 30 people have been affected by malaria. It is a farce," said an expert.