Expressing concern over the spread of dengue in the Capital, the Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Central and Delhi governments to explain the steps being taken to check the disease.
The directions were issued on the basis of a public interest litigation moved by law student Gauri Grover, which sought registration of criminal cases against the hospitals that denied treatment to seven-year-old Avinash Rout, who died of dengue last week.
Following his death, his parents had committed suicide.
While the court did not order the registration of FIRs against the directors of the hospitals, it did issue notices to the Union and Delhi governments, the three municipal corporations in the Capital, and the New Delhi Municipal Council to file short affidavits by September 24, explaining the measures taken to contain the vector-borne disease.
A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath, asked the petitioner’s counsel to produce additional documents showing specific negligence on the part of hospitals.
The petitioner has also sought directions to the government to declare dengue as an epidemic. It also seeks instructions for hospitals to not refuse admission to any dengue patient.
