After dengue cases spiked in the state, a PIL was filed in the Madras High Court to include dengue in the Chief Minister’s insurance scheme so that treatment expenses can be covered by the government.

The case was heard by Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar. 

The court sought a clarification from the state government whether those covered under Chief Minister’s insurance scheme would be provided treatment free of cost if they are diagnosed with dengue, reported The Hindu.

They also directed the corporation to file a status report about the steps being taken for eradicating mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases and to clean-dredge water bodies such as Buckingham Canal, Adyar and Cooum rivers. The petitioner said that Rs. 900 crore was allotted for desilting of rivers and keeping it free from garbage.

The court asked for a status report on the treatments available for the patients.

The petition was filed by Advocate AP Suryapraksam. He pointed out the case of a woman from Namakkal who killed her six-month-old son before committing suicide because she could not afford anti-dengue treatment for her son. The case has been posted for October 13 for further hearing, reported The Times of India.

The petitioner wanted the court to direct the state government to issue circulars to all private nursing homes to provide free treatment to the patients and for the government to reimburse it later.

He claimed that the government had ignored warnings before the outbreak of dengue in the state.  

“I have already sought a direction in another PIL to the corporation authorities to remove all the abandoned articles, vehicles and other scrapes left in the public platforms, lanes and interior streets of the city under which rainwater gets accumulated and dengue mosquitoes thrive. The corporation authorities had given an oral undertaking that they will issue public warnings through newspaper advertisement, but till this day nothing has happened,” Suryaprakasam stated in the petition, reported ToI.