“Inquiry committee appointed; actions to be taken against those who are guilty,” Maharashtra CM Shinde

Thane (Maharashtra) [India], August 15 (ANI): Following the deaths of 18 patients in Thane’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said that an inquiry committee has been appointed for investigation into the matter adding that actions will be taken against those who are guilty.

CM Shinde visited the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Thane and talked with the patients and their family members regarding the treatment at the hospital.

He said, “I have talked with patients and patient families regarding the treatment from the hospital. The patients and their relatives said that treatment is good and many patients from private hospital are coming to this hospital.”

“I’ve also visited the general and ICU ward to see all the situation,” he added.

Talking about the inquiry committee, he said, “An inquiry committee has been appointed and their report will come on August 25. We can get to the root of it and action will be taken against those who are guilty”.

Earlier, Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar on Sunday said that after the ICU capacity of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital has been increased, more patients in critical condition were admitted in the hospital.

“The ICU capacity of this (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital) hospital has been increased & when the capacity is increased critical patients who are at the last stage of their life also get admitted. Doctors try their best to save them…A committee has already been formed to probe…If they are natural deaths & they had come at the last stage then it becomes very difficult for the doctors also…A patient can go to any hospital but in what condition he goes becomes important for the doctor to save him…,” Minister Deepak Kesarkar said.

As many as 18 deaths were reported in the last 48 hours in the hospital. Thane Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar said that a committee will be constituted for an impartial investigation into the matter.

“18 deaths have been reported in the last 48 hours. Some of the patients who have died were already receiving treatment for various ailments including chronic kidney disease, pneumonia, kerosene poisoning, road accident and other reasons. I have briefed the CM on these deaths. A committee will be constituted for an impartial investigation into this incident to find out if the patients received optimal treatment,” the Municipal Commissioner said.

Meanwhile, relatives of the deceased allege inefficiency on the part of the hospital administration adding that there was insufficient doctor capacity considering the huge number of patients.

Confirming the news, the hospital administration said that some patients died as some patients were shifted in critical condition from private hospitals while some were above 80 years of age.

“Since the closure of the civil hospital, all the patients from Thane were brought here. So there is a lack of doctors and medical facilities. The cause of death was different for each patient”, Dr Rakesh Barot, Superintendent, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital, Kalwa said.