Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during a surprise check at a hospital on Tuesday.
The Delhi government has from today turned its anti-corruption helpline at the number 1031, into a dengue helpline, as the capital grapples with a lethal outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease. 11 people have died and more than 1,800 dengue cases have been recorded in the city.
On Wednesday morning, the team managing the 1031 helpline still announced it as an anti-corruption helpline, but said a caller's concerns on dengue would be "forwarded."
The decision to convert the helpline was taken by Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party government after an emergency cabinet meeting on Tuesday night. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had made surprise inspections at several hospitals amid outrage over the death of two children from dengue fever after they were allegedly refused treatment at several big hospitals.
Aman Sharma, 6, and Avinash Rout, 7 died last week allegedly after they were turned away by city hospitals that said they could not admit them because they did not have beds free. After Avinash's death, his parents committed suicide, provoking an outcry.
The Delhi government has now threatened to cancel the licenses of private hospitals that turn away patients. Authorities have ordered officials to continue making surprise checks at private hospitals to ensure they comply with an order not to turn away dengue patients.
The government has also said it will make 1000 extra beds available at hospitals. Doctors' leave has been cancelled to help cope with the influx of sick people.