Nanded: A shocking incident has come to light from the Nanded district of Maharashtra, where 24 patients have died in the last 24 hours at a government hospital. Among the deceased, 12 are newborns who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the hospital. The incident has exposed the poor state of the health system in Maharashtra, which is already grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic.
The hospital in question is Dr. Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital (Nanded Government Hospital), which is one of the largest and oldest medical institutions in the region. According to the hospital authorities, most of the deaths were due to critical illnesses and co-morbidities, and not related to Covid-19. However, they have not given any official statement or explanation for the high mortality rate in the hospital.
The hospital’s dean, Dr. SR Wakode, has tried to downplay the issue by saying that most of the dead were outpatients who came from far-off places and had low chances of survival. He also claimed that the hospital has adequate facilities and staff to handle the patients. However, he did not provide any details about the causes of death or the treatment given to the patients.
The incident has sparked outrage and concern among the public and the political leaders of the state. Former Chief Minister and Nanded MP Ashok Chavan visited the hospital on Monday evening and inspected the situation. He demanded an immediate inquiry into the matter and asked the government to take action against those responsible for the negligence. He said that it is alarming that 24 children died and 70 children were seriously injured in the last 24 hours. He also expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased.
The incident has raised serious questions about the quality of health care and infrastructure in Maharashtra, which is one of the worst-hit states by Covid-19 in India. The state has reported over 6.5 lakh cases and over 21,000 deaths so far due to Covid-19. The state government has been facing criticism for its handling of the pandemic and its failure to provide adequate resources and support to the health sector.’
