Maharashtra police register case against Dean and doctors of Nanded hospital after 31 patients die
A total of 24 patients, including newborns, died between September 30 and October 1. Following this, seven more deaths were reported on the following Tuesday.
Thirty-one patients lost their lives within a 72-hour timeframe at the Dr. Shankarrao Chavan Medical College and Hospital in Maharashtra’s Nanded. Following this, the Maharashtrian police have filed a case against the dean and a doctor at this hospital. These charges relate directly to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, under Sections 304 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Investigation Into The Matter
As per the reports, a total of 24 patients, including newborns, died between September 30 and October 1. Following this, seven more deaths were reported on the following Tuesday. Families of the deceased have accused the hospital of running short of medicines and showing negligence in patient care. However, Dean Shyamrao Wakode, Dr. Shankarrao Chavan Medical College and Hospital, refuted these claims. He stated that the patients received proper care and there was no lack of medicine. While defending his hospital, he asserted that the patients had not responded to their treatments due to suffering from symptoms of various conditions such as diabetes, liver failure, kidney failure, and in certain instances, poisonings from arsenic and phosphorus, as well as snake bites.
“There was no shortage of medicines or doctors, and the patients were given proper care, but their bodies did not respond to the treatment.” – Dean Shyamrao Wakode, Dr. Shankarrao Chavan Medical College and Hospital
Maharashtra’s Minister of Medical Education, Hasan Mushrif guaranteed a thorough investigation will be conducted into these deaths. He also stated that a committee of doctors will be instituted to oversee the probe.
Allegations of Negligence and a Police Complaint
One grieving relative, upset over the death of their newborn in the hospital, filed a complaint. They contended that despite acquiring the necessary medicine from outside the hospital and waiting for medical attention, no doctor attended to the ailing newborn. Then when they approached the dean’s office seeking help, they were turned away, as mentioned in the complaint.
Ironically, in an unrelated incident on the previous day, the dean had filed a police complaint against a Shiv Sena MP for forcing him to clean a dirty toilet at the facility.
The Other Side of The Story
Lok Sabha MP from Nanded, Hemant Patil, who compelled the dean to clean the dirty hospital toilet, explained his reasoning behind the controversial act. He articulated his anguish over the deplorable state of affairs at the hospital, especially its unclean toilets. He was quoted as saying by news agency PTI:
“The government spends crores, but I am pained to see the situation here. The toilets have not been cleaned for months. The toilets in the wards of the hospital are locked. No water is available in toilets.” – Hemant Patil, Lok Sabha MP from Nanded.
Dr. Wakode’s complaint against the MP led to charges being brought against Patil under IPC provisions, including defamation and criminal intimidation, as well as provisions from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Despite these grave allegations, the Eknath Shinde government denied any medicine shortage or doctor unavailability at the hospital. The distraught relatives of the patients alleged that senior doctors were unavailable, leaving the responsibility of patient care to junior doctors. These relatives also claim to have been instructed to purchase necessary medicines from outside the hospital due to a shortage.
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