Health Ministry Barres Hospitals for Over-Charging Dengue Tests in Haryana

Health department had issued notification for all private hospitals not to charge more than Rs.600 for dengue tests, but a few were charging upto Rs.2,000.

More than a dozen hospitals and diagnostic centers have charged more than the stipulated fee for testing suspected dengue patients. Health Ministry has barred them and has issued notices for over-charging, said an official.

Few well-known //multispecialty hospitals have also been served notice for not following proper precautions while treating patients with viral fever.

Government Plans to Ban the Sale of Rapid Diagnostic Dengue Test Kits
The health ministry has only recommended the use of ELISA-based kits, which are provided by the National Institute of Virology (NIV), for detection of dengue.

As many as 11 hospitals and diagnostic centers across the city were barred from conducting dengue tests for at least two days.

On September 28, the health department had issued notification directing all private hospitals not to charge more than Rs.600 for dengue tests, but a few hospitals were charging from Rs.700 to Rs.2,000.

Kamla Singh, Haryana's additional director general of health services blacklisted Suraj Diagnostic Center, attached with the civil hospital on public-private partnership model.

Dengue Test Results Available on Phone
A new SMS service has been launched by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) that sends dengue test results to patients through a text message within a few hours of the medical examination.

The health department also recommended the same action for Metro Hospital in Palam Vihar area, which is on the panel of the state government.

The offender health care centers have been directed to pay back the excess money charged from patients.

Dengue Testing Units Increased in Bengal
In Bengal, the number of dengue testing centres has increased by six times, says official.

Following an inspection by the health department, hospitals including Medanta - the Medicity, Fortis, Artemis and Paras were served notice for not following proper and prescribed norms and precautions while treating dengue patients.

Around 300 dengue patients and over 3,000 suspected viral fever patients are being treated at various private and civil hospitals in Gurgaon.

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Dengue infects large numbers of people across the tropics each year, but incidence can vary dramatically from year to year in any setting, said a senior author.

Source-IANS