A NEW DELHI:
Officials in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have claimed that a scarcity of crucial drugs led to the deaths of at least 31 patients in a government hospital over the course of three days.
Dr. Shankarrao Chavan Government Hospital in the Nanded district of the state was the location where the killings occurred.
“We never allow a patient to die from a shortage of medication at our facility. In case of emergency, we do our shopping close to home. Dr. S R Wakhode, the hospital’s medical superintendent, told reporters, “We cannot deny that sometimes, there may be a shortage of medicines for non-serious ailments.”
“The facts related to the death of patients at Dr. Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital is as follows: 24 deaths between September 30 and October 1; seven deaths between October 1 and 2,” the Nanded district information office (DIO) posted on X on Tuesday.
The government of Maharashtra has established a committee of inquiry to investigate the rising death toll.
Even political opponents have spoken out against the killings.
Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the Congress, has called for a full probe.
Kharge stated, “It is reported that these people perished from a lack of medication and medical care. In August of 2023, 18 patients died after a similar tragedy at a government hospital in Thane.
Rahul Gandhi, a senior member of the Congress party, made the following statement on X: “The BJP administration spends thousands of crores (millions) of rupees on its publicity, but there is no money for medications for children? The BJP places little importance on the lives of the poor.
Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) have formed a coalition government to control the state.
The head of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Sharad Pawar, posted on social media, “The unfortunate incident of death of 24 people, including 12 newborns, in 24 hours in a government hospital in Nanded is literally shocking.”
