Under-reporting of dengue cases in Delhi, says CAG

WrittenBy:NL Team
Date:
  • Share this article on whatsapp

Delhi has been under-reporting dengue cases and deaths, if a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) is to be believed.

subscription-appeal-image

Support Independent Media

The media must be free and fair, uninfluenced by corporate or state interests. That's why you, the public, need to pay to keep news free.

Contribute

A yet-to-be tabled report of CAG, which has examined cases of dengue outbreaks in the capital between 2013 and 2015, said that there was a difference in the number of dengue deaths cited by hospitals, and that stated by Delhi’s “death review committee”.

Reportedly only just 33% of the 67,500 positive cases reported by hospitals were forwarded to the Centre. The CAG was scathing in its criticism of all municipal bodies for their failure to develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to tackle the same.

The discrepancy in numbers was also seen in 2014, when the hospitals reported 50 cases of dengue deaths, while the committee confirmed only three. Responding to the CAG, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation – the nodal agency – said that details of “dengue cases received by hospitals are investigated by the civic body concerned and only those cases which belong to Delhi are considered as positive dengue cases”.

An audit team of the CAG inspected hospitals during July-August 2015 and found larvae of dengue in the premises. Since then, none of the hospitals inspected could provide a report of inspection, and action taken.

At a time when the Delhi government has already received flak for its response in the most recent cases of dengue and chikungunya outbreak, the CAG report certainly adds to the Delhi government’s growing list of woes.

It doesn’t help the Delhi government’s case that on Monday, the Supreme Court served notices to the state government and civil bodies of the alleged lack of preparedness to deal with chikungunya and dengue. The SC was responding to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a Delhi-based doctor Dr. Anil Mittal, who had moved the top court seeking proper steps to be taken to stop the chikungunya, dengue & malaria.

subscription-appeal-image

Power NL-TNM Election Fund

General elections are around the corner, and Newslaundry and The News Minute have ambitious plans together to focus on the issues that really matter to the voter. From political funding to battleground states, media coverage to 10 years of Modi, choose a project you would like to support and power our journalism.

Ground reportage is central to public interest journalism. Only readers like you can make it possible. Will you?

Support now

You may also like