Pune, 20 June 2025: With the onset of the monsoon and a rise in suspected dengue cases, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has fixed the cost of dengue tests at ₹600 across all private hospitals and laboratories. The civic health department has warned that strict legal action will be taken against any facility that violates this price cap.

This decision comes after numerous complaints from citizens about arbitrary charges for dengue tests at private centres. Municipal health chief Dr. Nina Borade has directed all healthcare establishments to strictly follow the state-mandated pricing and to report suspected dengue and other mosquito-borne disease cases regularly to the PMC.

In June alone, Pune has recorded 36 suspected dengue cases, though none have tested positive so far. Since the beginning of 2025, the city has seen 166 suspected cases, with eight confirmed dengue cases and eight cases of chikungunya reported.

To provide affordable care, free dengue testing is already available at the municipal hospital in Gadikhana, and similar facilities will soon be functional at Kamla Nehru Hospital. Testing equipment has been installed, and civic officials have assured that the centre will start operations shortly.

As part of its wider anti-dengue measures, the PMC has issued notices to 807 residents for harbouring mosquito breeding spots and has collected over ₹96,000 in fines since January. Authorities are ramping up inspections and urging citizens to clear stagnant water and report overcharging or suspected breeding areas to help contain dengue during the rainy season.