Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray
Credit: PTI Photo
The process of procuring medicines for state run hospitals must be decentralised and there is need to ensure the authority appointed to carry out this task does not work for anyone's 'self interest,' Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said on Monday.
He was speaking to reporters after visiting the Government Medical College and Hospital here and interacting with the dean and other officials.
State-run hospitals in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad), Nanded and Nagpur witnessed deaths of several patients in a short span after September 30, prompting the Shiv Sena (UBT) and other opposition parties to slam the Eknath Shinde government for alleged inefficiency and corruption.
"We will take up the issue (health infrastructure and patients' deaths) during the Assembly session. At the same time, there is need for decentralisation of medicine procurement. It should also be checked that the authority appointed for medicine procurement is not made for anyone's self-interest," he said.
"I am travelling to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nanded and Nagpur to understand the situation in the government hospitals there. The doctors of these facilities were praised for their work during the COVID pandemic. Then what is the reason that such incidents (death of patients) are taking place," Thackeray questioned.
Thackeray said there was need to bring financial and administrative reforms in the way state-run hospitals are run.
"While doing this, deans of medical colleges must be consulted. But we cannot expect anything from a government that is still to visit Nanded (in connection with patients' deaths)," Thackeray said.