Now hospitals get you dengue

Unhealthy environment

Despite regular checks by North Corporation, some hospitals in Delhi have become home to aedes mosquitoes, leading to increase in dengue cases

This will be the last thing on anybody’s mind – getting yourself admitted in a hospital for curing an illness but in return contracting dengue for free! And, this is no joke but a horrific truth! At least 10 prominent hospitals, including G B Pant and Lok Nayak Hospitals have been challaned by North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NMC) because the ambience of these hospitals have been found to be conducive for breeding of aedes mosquitoes which cause dengue.

The hospitals include Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Mangolpuri, ESI Hospital in Rohini, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Hospital in Patel Nagar, Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital, Maharshi Valmiki Hospital, Kasturba Hospital besides dispensaries and poly-clinics.
Mosquito breeding has also been found at various metro stations and Government schools and colleges. The prestigious Delhi Technical University (DTU) and Kendriya Vidhyala in Sunder Vihar have also been challaned for the same.

Talking on the issue, Sanjeev Nayyar, chairman, Health Committee, North Corporation, says, “When it comes to a government organisation, you cannot blame any particular individual for this. Also nobody cares where mosquitoes are breeding. AIIMS which is under NDMC is the worst affected when it comes to breeding and we do this drive each year, but the situation remains the same.”

“Although the amount of challan is less, but getting challaned is itself an insult to any institution. If larvae are found in the first attempt, we issue them a warning and ask them to spray kerosene or petrol, but even after that if larvas are found, we challan them,” adds Sanjeev.

A K Bansal, Municiapl Health Officer, North Corporation, says, “We are giving ads in newspapers, conducting meetings with RWAs, training teachers to create awareness amongst students.

Although the findings of the drive by NMC present an alarming picture despite sustained campaign against dengue, the challaned hospitals refused to respond to Metrolife on the issue.