In a shocking development, at least 24 persons, including 12 infants, have died in 24 hours at a government hospital Nanded, Maharashtra on Sunday, triggering strong reactions from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
According to officials, among the dead are at least 12 infants aged between 2 and 4 days, while the remaining are adults in some cases of 'poisoning' at the Dr. Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College & Hospital.
Though the hospital authorities have been evasive on the large number of fatalities in such a short time, the opposition parties have attacked the government of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, demanding the sacking or resignation of Health Minister Tanaji Sawant.
The Dean of the hospital, S. Wakode, told mediapersons that six male and six female babies succumbed to various causes, while another 12 adults died, mostly from snake-bites. He claimed that many patients came from far-off places and the hospital faced issues of procuring the right medicines for them in time amid budgeting constraints, and other issues.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Deputy Leader Sushma Andhare alleged negligence and referred to similar deaths of 18 patients in Thane's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Government Hospital in mid-August. "Its clear that Health Minister Sawant is ineffective and the CM should either take his resignation or sack him," said Andhare.
Slamming the government, Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule strongly condemned the mass deaths, saying: "This triple-engine government is responsible for all the 24 innocent persons' deaths."
Congress demands probe
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and other leaders including Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday expressed grief over the death of 24 persons in a government hospital in Maharashtra's Nanded due to lack of medicines and demanded a detailed investigation.
In a post on X in Hindi, Kharge said, "The news of death of 24 patients, including 12 infants in a civil hospital in Nanded, Maharashtra is extremely painful, serious and worrying. It is being said that these patients died due to lack of medicines and treatment. A similar incident took place in a government hospital in Thane in August 2023 in which 18 patients lost their lives."
"Our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. Continuous such accidents have raised a question mark on the health system of the state government. We demand a detailed investigation, so that the culprits of this negligence are given strict punishment from the judiciary," he added.
Rahul Gandhi in a post on X, said, "The news of death of 24 persons including 12 infants due to lack of medicines in a government hospital in Maharashtra's Nanded is worrying. My prayers with the families."
Hitting back at the government, Rahul Gandhi said, "The BJP government spends thousands of crores of rupees on its campaign, but there is no money for children's medicines? In the eyes of BJP, the life of the poor has no value."
(With inputs from IANS)
