Rattled by hospital deaths, CM Shinde orders collectors to visit all facilities in state

Rattled by 80-plus deaths in three days in four hospitals in three cities of Maharashtra, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday asked Collectors to visit all government hospitals and medical colleges, municipal hospitals and primary health centres and present a status report before the government.

Shinde also instructed the Collectors to conduct regular inspections of the hospitals.

Shinde, who was in New Delhi for back-to-back official engagements, held an online meeting in the wake of the large number of deaths reported from the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH), both located in Nagpur, the Dr Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital (SCGMCH) in Nanded, and the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, earlier known as Aurangabad.

Since the weekend, over 80 deaths have been reported from these hospitals.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of the news of hospital deaths and asked the Chief Secretary to present a report.

The Commission has asked its Special Rapporteur P N Dixit to visit the two state-run hospitals in Nanded and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar where these deaths have been reported.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, amount to a violation of human rights relating to the life and health of the victims due to negligence by public authorities, which is a matter of concern.

“Accordingly, a notice has been issued to the Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks. It should include the status of the infrastructure along with the requisite and present strength of doctors, nurses and other staff in the government-run hospitals as well as the status of the medicines and diagnostic facilities available for the patients,” an NHRC statement said.

The Commission has also asked the state government, through its Chief Secretary, to inform about the action taken against the responsible public servants as well as the status of the relief and rehabilitation provided to the aggrieved families.