BackMaharashtra hospital deaths: Shiv Sena MP makes dean of Nanded college clean urinals, pigs found roaming facility
Death toll rises to 31, including 12 infants, at Dr Shankarrao Chavan Medical College and Hospital in Maharashtra. The Chief Minister's office has denied shortages of medicine or doctors and staff, and said the deaths will be investigated.
PremiumThe unkempt deplorable condition of Dr Shankarrao Chavan Medical College and Hospital has shocked state authorities as death count mounted to 31 in the past 48 hours. The number of people deceased also includes twelve infants. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said that action will be taken against those found guilty in the incident.
Initial media reports had cited the cause of deaths to lack of medicines and health workers. However, on Tuesday the Chief Minister's office in an official statement said, “As per preliminary information, it has been found that there is no shortage of medicines in the hospital. There is adequate availability of doctors and staff. The deaths will be seriously investigated"
State Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif said, “The issue of housekeeping is very serious, we have taken that seriously... They still have ₹4-5 crores. Why didn't they purchase medicines? Our committee will give an answer...We will bring the medical college staff here...There is no issue of funding but why didn't they purchase medicines on time, we will investigate this."
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Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Hemant Patil on Tuesday made the acting dean of the government hospital in Nanded, where 31 patients have died in 48 hours, clean a dirty toilet and urinals, a video of which has gone viral.
Amid outrage over the deaths, including of 12 infants, from September 30 to October 2, the Hingoli MP visited Dr Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital and took stock of the situation.
"You don't have simple mugs (in the toilet) and you shout at people who don't use toilets. Do you (doctors and the dean) behave similarly at your home?" Patil can be heard saying.
He then asked a doctor to get another bucket. "Do you have only one bucket in this medical college?" Patil asked.
The video shows Patil handing a broom to the acting dean, S R Wakode, and making him clean a toilet and wall-mounted urinals.
"The government spends crores but I am pained to see the situation here. The toilets have not been cleaned for months. The toilets in the wards of the hospital are locked. No water is available in toilets," Patil, who belongs to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena, told a news channel.
"I went to the office of the dean where I saw that the wash basin is broken and the tap has no water," he said.
Patil said he would request the chief minister to order the registration of cases against these people who draw salaries from the government but are negligent in work.
The chief minister has said that the state government had taken the deaths at the Nanded hospital very seriously and assured appropriate action after a detailed inquiry. He denied the shortages of medicines and staff.
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