Delhi government show-causes 5 hospitals for refusing dengue patient

New Delhi: Delhi Government on Saturday issued notices to five private hospitals, including Max Saket and Moolchand Khairati Ram, for their alleged refusal to admit a seven-year-old dengue patient who later died.

The government move comes after parents of the boy, who died of suspected dengue after allegedly being denied admission by the private hospitals, committed suicide by jumping from a four-storeyed building in South Delhi's Lado Sarai.

Reacting to the tragic incident, Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain said the government had issued notices but it was unlikely that their registrations would be cancelled outright.

"Names of five hospitals have come to light and we have issued notices to all of them. We have asked them to specify the reason behind their denial of admission.

"Government will do whatever it can, including strict action against them (errant hospitals). If such a situation arises that they compel the government to cancel their registration, government will also do it. But it can't be done on today's date. Now is the time to fight dengue," Jain said.

Apart from Max Saket and Moolchand Khairati Ram, the notices have been issued to Aakash Hospital (Malviya Nagar), Saket City Hospital, and Irene Hospital (Kalkaji). They have been asked to reply within a month, a senior government official said.

Jain has also directed "strictest" action against those who flout the government's August 28 advisory which makes it mandatory for all hospital and nursing homes to admit patient suffering from dengue.

The couple's only son, Avinash, died of dengue on September 8 after allegedly being denied admission by the private hospitals the previous day.