Maharashtra: 18 deaths reported in 24 hours in Thane hospital; probe panel constituted, says civic chief

Eighteen patients have died in the last 24 hours at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Maharashtras Kalwa in Thanecivic commissioner Abhijit Bangar said on Sunday reported the PTIThese comprise 10 women and eight men of which six are from Thane city four from Kalyan three from Sahapur one each from Bhiwandi Ulhasnagar and Govandi in Mumbai one patient is from some other place and and one is unidentified he said according to the PTITwelve of the deceased were above the age of 50 Bangar added as per the PTIEarlier state health minister Tanaji Sawant and local Deputy Commissioner of Police Ganesh Gawde had put the number of deaths at 17Addressing a news conference Bangar said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had taken feedback about the situation and had ordered the setting up of an independent probe committee that will be headed by the commissioner of health services and will include collector civic chief director of health services interventionist at staterun JJ Hospital in Mumbai and civic surgeon the news agency reported on SundayIt will carry out probe into the clinical aspect of the deaths he addedThese patients had complications of kidney stone chronic paralysis ulcer pneumonia kerosene poisoning septicemia etc he saidThe line of treatment will be probed and statements of kin of the deceased etc will be recorded Allegations of negligence levelled by some kin is a serious matter which the probe committee will look into Bangar saidThe entire Covid staff of 500 has been shifted to this hospital and additional nursing staff has been appointed We are also aiming to have round the clock post mortem facility here he told reporters as per the PTIEarlier in the day state health minister Sawant said the dean of the hospital had been asked to submit a report in two daysA Thane Municipal Corporation official said the deaths were being analysed and several civic officials are at the heavilypatronised facility for inspection of records etcSpeaking to PTI Deputy Commissioner of Police Ganesh Gawde said We have information of 17 deaths in the last 24 hours We have been told the usual figure per day is six to sevenThe hospital management told us some of the patients arrived there in a critical stage and succumbed during treatment Some were elderly We have increased police presence at the hospital to avoid any untoward incident due to these high number of deaths the DCP informedSpeaking on the issue Sawant said Of these 17 a total of 13 were in the ICU A few days ago five patients had died in the hospital The state government has asked the dean to submit a report in two days according to the PTIAction will be taken as per the report of the dean This hospital comes under the state medical education and research department Its minister Hasan Mushrif has reached the hospital and he is looking into the matter Sawant told reporters in PuneNationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar called the deaths heartbreaking and said the administration did not wake up despite five deaths at the facility in a single day recentlyMaharashtra minister and BJP leader Girish Mahajan said 16 deaths in a a single day in a hospital with a capacity of 500 was a matter of concernNCP leader and MLA from the region Jitendra Awhad said the hospital was mismanaged and asked the administration to set things right before it was too lateHe said kin of the deceased must be given compensation of Rs 50 lakhAwhad said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was slow in reacting to the situation and should have ordered corrective steps when five people died at the facility earlierState minister Aditi Tatkare who visited the hospital called the deaths unfortunate and said the Maharashtra government will take all efforts to ensure such an incident is not repeatedNationalist Congress Party spokesperson Clyde Crasto sought a detailed inquiry into the deathsChief Minister Shinde belongs to Thane and the medical negligence leading to these deaths took place in his backyard Thane is the stronghold of Shinde Crasto saidIt goes to show Shinde is not paying attention to Thane and is probably so busy in breaking and forming governments that he has no time for his own people the NCP leader allegedState NCP chief Jayant Patil too slammed CM Shinde saying the latter boasted about government at your doorstep but there was lack of medical facilities in his own backyardFormer Thane mayor Naresh Mhakse who is also spokesperson of the Eknath Shindeled Shiv Sena said the hospital was over loaded and was treating 650 patients per day against a capacity of 500The civil hospital in the area is being renovated so the load falls on this facility in Kalwa Mhaske claimedHospital sources meanwhile said some doctors were down with dengue which was also affecting the running of the facilitySources said Thane civil hospital with 300 beds was operating at 50 per cent capacityBJP MLC Niranjan Davkhare said it has been decided to shift some patients from the Kalwa facility to Thane civil hospital while medical personnel from the latter will be posted in KalwaHe also said private hospitals must be roped in to provide relief to people in the districtLocal MNS leader Avinash Jadhav sought proactive measures to improve the efficiency of the hospitalShiv Sena UBT leader Kedar Dighe slammed authorities for what he claimed were medical lapses as well as lack of planning to overcome problems rising due to the relocation of the civil hospitalThane Lok Sabha MP Rajan Vichare said authorities must take all efforts to ensure such incidents are not repeated adding there were complaints of patients being asked money for certain serviceswith PTI inputs