Seven more patients, including four children, died at the government hospital in Nanded, Maharashtra last night. This follows the 24 deaths in 24 hours that garnered national attention. In the past 48 hours, the death toll in Shankarrao Chavan Government Hospital has reached 31, with 16 infants or children among the deceased.
Dr. Shyamrao Wakode, the dean of the hospital, has denied allegations of medical negligence and asserted that there were no shortages of medicines or doctors. He emphasized that despite receiving proper care, the patients did not respond to treatment.
Maharashtra Health Minister Hasan Mushrif is en route to Nanded and has promised a thorough investigation. He stated, “This should not have happened. There was no shortage of medicines or doctors. We will investigate every death, and anyone found negligent will be punished.”
A committee has been formed to investigate the deaths, as confirmed by Dr. Dilip Mhaisekar, the Director of Medical Education and Research. Dr. Mhaisekar added that he will personally visit the hospital to assess the situation.
The opposition has strongly criticized the ruling government in Maharashtra, led by Eknath Shinde, for the deaths in the government hospital. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has called for a detailed probe, describing the incident as “extremely painful, serious, and worrying.” He also mentioned another similar incident in Thane in August, where 18 patients died.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi directed his criticism towards the BJP, a part of the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, questioning the allocation of funds for publicity rather than adequate medical supplies for children.
Former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, a senior Maharashtra Congress leader, urged the state government to address the situation promptly and provide immediate assistance to the Nanded hospital.
The dean of the hospital previously reported that the 12 newborns who died between September 30 and October 1 were in the 0-3-day age range and had very low weight. The hospital currently has 142 admissions in the pediatric department, with 42 patients in critical condition. The patients come from neighboring districts as well as villages in Telangana.
The Nanded district administration released a statement explaining the profiles of the deceased adults, stating that four had heart-related ailments, one suffered from unknown poisoning, one had liver issues, two were kidney patients, one experienced pregnancy complications, and three were involved in accidents.