Lack of staff and medication have been suggested as major contributing causes after 24 patients, including 12 infants, died during the previous 24 hours at the government-run Dr. Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College in Maharashtra’s Nanded district.
There are far more than the about 10 daily average deaths. The hospital associated the rise in mortality, among other causes, to serious health problems brought on by snakebites and arsenic poisoning.
While the hospital only had 600 beds available, a doctor there stated, “We presently have more than 800 patients being admitted.” We are the only tertiary health care institution in the area, and frequently serve critically sick patients with serious illnesses.
However, a doctor at the hospital claimed there was a delay in receiving medications from the supplier, Mumbai’s Haffkine Institute, in spite of the Opposition’s claims that there were shortages of medications at the facility. “The modifications in the medication acquisition process have resulted in a procedural delay. However, we had already made plans. Therefore, we made sure the patients received their medicines with no postponement, the doctor remarked.
Eknath Shinde, the chief minister of Mumbai, stated these deaths as “unfortunate” and promised an in-depth inquiry.
Opposition Demanding for Accountability and Action
Ashok Chavan, an accomplished Congressman and previous chief minister, called for prompt action to preserve lives after visiting the hospital. “70 people are in a life-threatening state following 24 deaths. The hospital is struggling with a lack of staff members and healthcare resources. Several crucial machines are not working, and multiple nurses have been transferred without justified replacements,” he said.
According to Chavan, the contractor who had been engaged to maintain the CT scanner along with other machinery had to halt working since the agreed-upon payment had not yet been received.
The former chief minister added that he had discussed the matter over the phone with both Girish Mahajan, Nanded’s guardian minister, and Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister. “I do not intend to exploit this for political gains. The investigation will reveal who is guilty. But the populace’s ire would flare up if the state administration does not take action and make things better”, he warned.
Supriya Sule, the NCP leader, attacked the state administration and brought up the recent event at Thane’s Kalwa Hospital, where 18 people passed away in a matter of 24 hours.
Allegations imply that patients’ treatment was put on hold because of a lack of medications in the hospital. Does this suggest that lives have lost value in Maharashtra? The MP tweeted in Marathi on X, formerly Twitter that, in this instance, we see a clear case of neglect and prolonged inaction, warranting decisive and rigorous intervention.
The chief minister should intervene right once and demand resignations from all of the ministries in charge of the disaster, the NCP leader added.
