Maharashtra Shifts Blame To Private Hospitals’ Extended Weekend For Deaths: Sources

The Maharashtra government is facing significant criticism following 31 deaths in a 72-hour period at a hospital in Nanded. The government is reportedly planning to shift blame onto private healthcare units in the area that were closed for an extended weekend, according to sources. The Bombay High Court had demanded a detailed response from the government, expressing its dissatisfaction with the shortage of medicines, beds, and staff at the state-run hospital.

The government is expected to inform the court that private hospitals near the Dr. Shankarrao Chavan government medical college and hospital in Nanded had insufficient staff due to consecutive holidays. Consequently, these private hospitals referred critical cases, including newborns, to the government hospital, contributing to the high death toll, as per sources. The government may argue that at least 10 newborn deaths were linked to private healthcare units in its affidavit.

Medical Education Minister Hasan Mashrif stated that ten of the deceased newborns were transferred from private hospitals to the state-run hospital in critical condition. The government has formed a committee and conducted an audit of each death, which will be presented in court.

Despite the government’s claims of no shortage of medicines or doctors, ground reports reveal a different reality. Pigs were found on the hospital premises, and drains were clogged with plastic bottles. Relatives of deceased patients reported having to purchase medicines externally, and senior doctors were allegedly not attending to patients.

In response to a newborn’s death due to alleged negligence, the hospital’s dean and another doctor have been charged with culpable homicide. Furthermore, there was a controversy involving Shiv Sena MP Hemant Patil, who was filmed asking the acting dean to clean a filthy toilet at the hospital. Patil has been charged with various offenses, including criminal force to deter a public servant from doing his duty, defamation, and criminal intimidation, as well as under relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.