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

PTI

Thane, August 13

Eighteen patients have died in the last 24 hours at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa in Thane, civic commissioner Abhijit Bangar said on Sunday.

These 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.

Twelve of the deceased were above the age of 50, with the oldest being an 83-year-old woman and the youngest a 4-year-old boy Bangar added.

Addressing 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 state-run JJ Hospital in Mumbai and civic surgeon.

It will carry out probe into the clinical aspect of the deaths, he added.

These patients had complications of kidney stone, chronic paralysis, ulcer, pneumonia, kerosene poisoning, septicemia etc, he said.

“The 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 said.

Earlier in the day, state health minister Tanaji Sawant said the dean of the hospital had been asked to submit a report in two days.

Speaking 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 seven.”

“The 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 numbers of deaths,” the DCP informed.

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar called the deaths heart-breaking and said the administration did not wake up despite five deaths at the facility in a single day recently.

Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Girish Mahajan said “16 deaths” in a single day in a hospital with a capacity of 500 was a matter of concern.

NCP 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 late. He said kin of the deceased must be given compensation of Rs 50 lakh.

Awhad 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 earlier.

State 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 repeated.

Hospital sources, meanwhile, said some doctors were down with dengue which was also affecting the running of the facility.

Sources said Thane civil hospital, with 300 beds, was operating at 50 per cent capacity.

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