Amid surge in cases, Karnataka to announce price cap on dengue tests in private hospitals

Karnataka Health Minister announces price cap on dengue tests in private hospitals amid rising cases.

Amid a surge in dengue cases, Karnataka is all set to announce a price cap on dengue tests in private hospitals. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday directed officials to deliberate and fix a reasonable price cap on tests in all private hospitals and diagnostic laboratories in the State. 

Dengue has been on the rise in the State, with 6,187 cases and six deaths reported this year so far. A similar price cap was stipulated by the Congress government in 2015.

Mr. Dinesh Gundu Rao, who held a coordination meeting on Tuesday with officials from the BBMP, Health and Rural Development, and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) departments to devise dengue control measures, said a notification on the price cap will be issued on Wednesday. Dengue detection and treatment are free of cost in government hospitals.

Directing all hospitals, including private facilities, to mandatorily notify all dengue cases, the Health Minister said, “More dengue cases are being detected as the testing rate has increased by 42% compared to last year. Early detection can help prevent complications and fatalities. Officials from the Health Department and BBMP should be on alert and function in coordination,” the Minister said.

Speaking to mediapersons after the meeting, the Minister said the current case fatality rate (CFR) of dengue in Karnataka is 0.09%. “According to the Government of India guidelines, dengue CFR should not exceed 0.5%. I have directed the officials to intensify preventive measures and focus on early detection to prevent complications and deaths,” he said.

Of the six deaths reported in the State so far, two are from Hassan and one each from Bengaluru, Shivamogga, Dharwad, and Haveri. “All hospitals have been equipped to handle the surge in cases,” he said.

Directing officials to visit every house and create awareness about dengue preventive measures, the Minister told the officials to conduct door-to-door surveys and create awareness.