CAG orders audit of steps to deal with dengue in Delhi

New Delhi: Alarmed by spurt in dengue cases in the capital, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Shashi Kant Sharma has ordered audit of the preparedness of the Delhi government and local authorities to deal with mosquito menace.

The CAG audit, according to sources, will scrutinise the preventive steps which had been taken by the Delhi government and civic authorities -- the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) -- to deal with mosquito-borne diseases.

The dengue outbreak this year has already claimed nearly 28 lives and there were reports that several patients were turned away from hospitals because of lack of facilities.

The CAG audit, sources said, will also look into initiatives with regard to cleanliness, sanitation, fumigation, maintenance of drains and manholes.

Among other things, the audit will scrutinise preparedness of hospitals and dispensaries for diagnosis and treatment of mosquito-borne diseases and training of staff.

Besides, it will also try to find out whether instructions given to private hospitals with regard to treatment of poor patents are being followed. The private hospitals were given land at concessional rates by the Delhi government on the condition that they will provide medical facilities to the poor patient free or at subsidised rates.

According to a letter received by the Delhi Health

Secretary Amar Nath from CAG, the government auditor will also look into "adequacy of budget provisions and timely release of funds by the Centre/state governments; and coordination between various agencies including reporting and monitoring mechanism".

Worried over the lack of preparedness to deal with the mosquito problem, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has already issued notices to the Centre and the Delhi government over reports that several patients of dengue died allegedly after being denied admission to hospitals in the national capital.

NHRC directed authorities to specify in their reports action taken against erring hospitals and nursing homes that denied admission to dengue patients, besides the short-term and long-term measures proposed for prevention and treatment of dengue in Delhi.

"Details have been sought on ex-gratia payment scheme formulated by the government for deaths due to negligence by hospitals," NHRC said in a statement yesterday.

NHRC took a suo motu cognisance of media reports that two children died of dengue after some private hospitals in the city turned them away.