Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj has said that all government hospitals in the city will reserve five per cent beds for dengue patients.

Bhardwaj held a meeting at the Delhi Secretariat with all nodal officers and Medical Superintendents of hospitals in Delhi to discuss measures for preventing dengue in the city, an official statement said on Wednesday.

The meeting included participation from all government hospitals in Delhi, municipal corporation hospitals, Cantt area hospitals, and officials from Central government hospitals.

During the meeting, the Delhi Health Minister individually inquired about the current situation of dengue in each hospital under their jurisdiction.

It was reported that preparations to combat dengue are underway in almost all hospitals, and they appear to be well-prepared to handle dengue cases. However, no hospital official mentioned any emergency-like situation related to dengue so far.

“Currently, there is no emergency-like situation related to dengue in Delhi. However, taking precautionary measures, during a meeting, the Delhi Health Minister issued directions to all hospital authorities,” said an official statement.

He instructed them to reserve 5 per cent of the existing beds in all hospitals to cater specifically to dengue patients, just like during the COVID-19 period when a certain percentage of beds were reserved for COVID-19 patients.

Dengue is a disease where the patient’s platelet count drops rapidly, putting their life at risk. Considering the seriousness of the situation, Bhardwaj has directed all hospital authorities to ensure that the test reports of patients with fever are obtained within six to eight hours of admission.

This measure will enable prompt treatment in case a patient is diagnosed with dengue fever, potentially saving their life and preventing any further harm in the future.

During the meeting, the Delhi Health Minister, also instructed all hospital authorities to provide daily information on dengue patients admitted to their hospitals on the Health Department’s portal, similar to how all hospitals used to report their daily COVID-19 data during the pandemic.

This practice will help the government stay informed about the current situation of dengue in Delhi and enable them to make well-organised arrangements to tackle any potential emergencies effectively.

Dengue is a disease transmitted through mosquito bites, and if a mosquito bites a dengue patient and then bites a healthy person, that person also becomes vulnerable to dengue.

Recognising this risk, the Delhi Health Minister instructed all hospital authorities to establish separate wards for dengue patients in their respective hospitals. This segregation will protect other patients from the risk of dengue and ensure that dengue patients receive prompt and adequate treatment with dedicated doctors and nursing staff.

Additionally, Bhardwaj also directed the placement of mosquito nets around the beds of all dengue patients to prevent mosquitoes from transmitting the disease to other patients and to facilitate effective control measures against dengue.