The recent surge of 49 deaths within two days at government hospitals in Maharashtra’s Nanded and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar districts has placed the Eknath Shinde government in a precarious position within the state. The opposition, in an impassioned response, has deemed these fatalities as ‘murder’ and is demanding criminal repercussions for those found accountable.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, during a press briefing after the weekly cabinet meeting, asserted that the hospitals had sufficient medicine supplies and medical personnel on hand. He further explained that many of the deceased were elderly individuals with heart ailments, underweight infants, or accident victims. Shinde expressed his sorrow, stating, “The deaths are unfortunate. We have taken the incident very seriously. An inquiry has been ordered and action will be taken appropriately.”
In response to the mounting criticism, the government dispatched ministers Girish Mahajan and Hasan Mushrif to Nanded to assess the situation. A panel has also been established to investigate the 31 deaths recorded in just 36 hours at the Dr. Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College & Hospital in Nanded.
Adding to the government’s woes, reports surfaced on Tuesday of at least 18 additional deaths, including two infants, at the Government Hospital in Ghati, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. This led to a renewed onslaught from the opposition.
Maharashtra’s Medical Education Minister, Hasan Mushrif, assured the public that a thorough inquiry into the deaths at the government hospital in Nanded district would determine the cause, and improvements would be made within the next 15 days. Mushrif emphasized that there was no shortage of medicines at the hospital and pledged action against anyone found negligent in the patients’ deaths. He stated, “Every death case at Nanded’s Government Medical College and Hospital will be investigated individually by a committee.”
Opposition leaders, including Vijay Wadettiwar, Nana Patole, Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule, Jayant Patil, and others, directed severe criticism at Chief Minister Shinde, Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, and Health Minister Tanaji Sawant. They demanded accountability, alleging indifference to the situation and lack of essential medical supplies.
Congress leaders from the center, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Vadra, also condemned the incidents in Maharashtra. Nana Patole criticized the government for its allocation of funds, emphasizing the need to address the lack of medicines and other essentials, while Supriya Sule labeled the deaths as “state murders” and called for Health Minister Tanaji Sawant’s resignation and compensation for the victims’ families.
Additionally, leaders highlighted systemic issues within the public health system, including corruption, malfunctioning equipment, erratic medicine supplies, inadequate healthcare staff, and other deficiencies, describing these facilities as “death traps.” Patole revealed allegations of corruption and lapses in procurement and investigations, adding to the growing concerns surrounding the healthcare crisis in the state.
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