PMC asks Pune private hospitals to upload confirmed dengue cases to health portal without delay

Pune Municipal Corporation Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram has asked the city's private hospitals to upload details of patients with confirmed dengue on the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) without delay. The directive comes as the civic body tightens its arrangements for monitoring and preventing disease in the city.

A meeting with representatives of private hospitals was held at the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) headquarters on Monday. Ram stressed that a patient's details must be entered on the portal as soon as the diagnosis is made. Officials said the same rule applies to patients with other diseases.

Health department officials, assistant health officers, regional medical officers and representatives of private health institutions attended. With timely information, the corporation's health department will be able to track infections, assess emerging trends and plan action in areas reporting cases.

The commissioner also said dengue patients must be treated without delay and admitted to hospital whenever their condition requires it. Doctors and hospital staff were asked to explain the disease, warning signs, treatment options and preventive measures to patients and their families.

Patients recovering at home have been asked to monitor their health and consult a doctor if their condition worsens. As the illness progresses, the platelet count can fall in some patients, so medical supervision must continue even after initial treatment or consultation for fever.

Ram also asked private hospitals to tell patients who come for treatment of dengue and other illnesses about the PMC's urban health scheme, which is meant for economically weaker citizens. Hospitals were asked to help eligible patients get its benefits.

During the discussion, representatives of private hospitals also raised difficulties they face in their work. The commissioner assured them that the issues would be forwarded to the departments concerned for appropriate action.

The corporation said insecticide spraying and public awareness work are under way to check the spread of dengue. People have been asked to keep their surroundings clean and not to let water collect in containers, open spaces and similar places where mosquitoes can breed.