A three-member expert committee set up to probe the deaths in Nanded government hospital will submit its report on Tuesday afternoon, said Dr Dilip Mhaisekar, director of Medical Education and Research, Maharashtra.
Twenty-four deaths, including that of 12 infants, were reported between September 30 and October 1 in a government hospital in Nanded.
According to Dr S R Wakode, dean of Dr Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital, the 12 infants comprise six males and six females, adding that most were in the 0-3 day age group and had very low weight. "There are 142 admissions in the paediatric department, of which 42 are still critical. Oxygen as well as ventilator facilities are there. The patients are from neighbouring districts, including Hingoli, Parbhani and Washim. Some are from villages in neighbouring Telangana," he said.
An official statement issued by the Nanded district collectorate said that of the 12 adults, five were male and seven female. "Four adults had heart-related ailments, one was suffering from an unknown poisoning, one had a liver issue, two were kidney patients, and one case was of complications during pregnancy. There were three accident cases," it said.
With the deaths coming to light, an expert panel was formed on Monday. "A three-member expert committee from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad) district has been formed with a mandate to submit a report by 1 pm on Tuesday. I am personally visiting the hospital to review the situation," Mhaisekar informed.
Staff, medicine shortage?
The statement from the collectorate said the hospital had received Rs 12 crore funding in this year's District Planning Development Committee (DPDC). The state government has also sanctioned Rs 4 crore additional funds.
However, several posts continue to remain vacant after the transfer of some nurses. There is also a shortage of medical officers, according to Congress leader and former chief minister Ashok Chavan. "I have suggested to the state government that they can take the help of private doctors. It is up to the state government to implement it or not," he added.
However, Dr Wakode said the state government has already given Rs 25 lakh worth of medicines to the hospital.
Opposition hits out at Shinde
The Opposition parties have mounted an attack on the Eknath Shinde government over the deaths in a government hospital in Maharashtra's Nanded, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar bemoaning the apathy of the state government.
NCP leader Sharad Pawar took to X to call out 'the failure of government systems.' "Just two months ago, there was an unfortunate incident where 18 people died in a single night in Kalwa Hospital of Thane Municipal Corporation," he said, adding that the government refused to take the incident seriously, causing it to repeat.
"This shows the failure of government systems. At least considering the seriousness of these unfortunate incidents, the state government needs to ensure that concrete steps are taken so that these incidents are not repeated and the lives of innocent patients are saved," Pawar, the prominent leader of Opposition MVA, added.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP government spends crores of rupees on publicity but there is no money for children's medicines. In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said the news of the death of 24 people, including 12 newborns, due to a shortage of medicines in a government hospital in Maharashtra is extremely saddening and expressed his deepest condolences to all the bereaved families. "The BJP government spends thousands of crores of rupees on its publicity, but there is no money for medicines for children? In the eyes of the BJP, the lives of the poor have no value," he alleged.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh asked Modi to break his "silence" on the incident.
In a post in Hindi on X, Priyanka Gandhi said strict action should be taken against those responsible and compensation should be given to the affected families.