New Delhi: Delhi’s government hospitals are pulling out all the stops as flu cases rise across the city. Fever clinics are being set up, more samples are being tested, isolation beds are ready, and hospital teams are on alert. Officials say anyone showing warning signs is being checked, tested and admitted right away if needed.
The numbers so far
Delhi has recorded 2,308 H1N1 cases in 2026, and combined cases of Influenza A and B have crossed roughly 3,000. Right now, H1N1 is the strain doing the rounds in the city. That’s a change from last year, when H3N2 was the dominant one, according to Delhi’s health minister Pankaj Singh.
Singh also had a warning for hospitals trying to cash in on the situation: “Strict action will be taken against hospitals found overcharging patients in the name of tests. The residents of Delhi have nothing to worry about, as the Delhi government is taking all necessary measures to manage the situation.”
What’s happening on the ground
At Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital, staff are keeping a close eye on fever clinics, isolation beds and how beds are being allocated. “We have not seen a major rise, but as a precaution we have set up a fever clinic today,” an official said, adding that anyone with warning signs is being handled as per protocol.
Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital already runs a flu clinic every season, so it’s simply carrying on with business as usual. “The flu clinic is an established facility and functions routinely during the influenza season,” an official said. Doctors there are testing anyone who shows warning signs and admitting patients if their symptoms turn severe or start looking like pneumonia.
The hospital has genuinely seen a jump in flu patients lately, around 240 people came in with symptoms just on Monday, and 30 to 40 of them needed to be admitted. Beds have been set aside specifically for people who need isolation.
At Lok Nayak Hospital, it’s much the same story: sampling has been stepped up, and every patient is being screened for warning signs before doctors decide on next steps.
Government’s response
All this comes after the Delhi government sat down on Tuesday to review the flu situation. Health minister Singh met with officials from the Health Department, MCD, NDMC and Delhi Cantonment to talk through everything.
The Health Department has now been told to sharpen its surveillance, catch cases early, report them faster, test people who need it, and make sure hospitals don’t run short on antiviral medicines or other supplies. Singh was also clear that awareness efforts need to actually reach people on the street, not just look good in official reports.
“There is no need for panic. Our health system is fully prepared and we are continuously monitoring the situation. At the same time, we cannot be complacent. Our priority is early detection, timely treatment, effective prevention and keeping the people of Delhi informed and protected,” Singh said.
The meeting also touched on dengue and malaria. Delhi has seen 570 dengue cases and 215 malaria cases this year, though thankfully no deaths from either. Civic bodies have been asked to ramp up fogging, spraying and other mosquito-control measures, especially near schools and hospitals.
What doctors are saying
Dr Yoginder Pal Singh, who heads HLA and Molecular Biology at Agilus Diagnostics, says the spike in H1N1 cases is a good reminder of how quickly these infections can spread, especially in crowded, poorly ventilated spaces. Catching it early matters, he said, since it helps doctors decide on antiviral treatment in time.
The tricky part, he added, is that flu symptoms, fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, fatigue, chills, a blocked or runny nose, look a lot like Covid-19 and other respiratory infections. So symptoms alone won’t tell you what you actually have; testing is what makes the difference.
His lab has also noticed something worth flagging: nearly 30 percent of people tested there over the past week came back positive for H1N1.
(with inputs from PTI)
