Within a span of 24 hours, a tragic incident unfolded at a government hospital located in Maharashtra's Nanded district, resulting in the loss of 24 lives, which included 12 newborn infants.
Officials at the Shankarrao Chavan Government Hospital reported that the unfortunate deaths were attributed to a severe shortage of essential medicines. The hospital's dean disclosed that among the 12 infants who lost their lives, there were an equal number of boys and girls. Additionally, the deaths of 12 adults were due to various ailments, including fatalities caused by snakebites.
The hospital is classified as a "tertiary-level care center," yet it serves patients from a wide geographical area, spanning 70-80 kilometers, as it stands as the sole healthcare facility within that radius. This influx of patients occasionally surpasses the hospital's financial capabilities, leading to the scarcity of crucial medicines. The situation was further exacerbated by staff transfers within the hospital.
The dean also noted that the hospital had initially intended to procure medicines from an institute called Haffkine but encountered difficulties in doing so. Consequently, the hospital resorted to purchasing medicines from local stores to provide treatment to its patients.
A grieving father, who had recently lost his newborn child, attributed the tragedy to the hospital's "negligence" and expressed his hope that such a heartbreaking incident would not befall anyone else.
Another parent, whose newborn had been admitted to the hospital four days prior, recounted the staff's reluctance to permit them to see their child. They voiced concerns about the lack of information regarding their child's condition, citing inadequate communication from the doctors.
In response to this distressing news, Vikas Lawande, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesperson, criticized the state government for the 24 deaths, including those of 12 newborns, within a 24-hour timeframe. He specifically pointed out the government's failure to supply essential medicines, juxtaposed with its expenditure on festivals and events.
Rahul Gandhi, a prominent leader of the Congress party, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of lavish spending on publicity but neglecting investments in pediatric medicines. He expressed condolences to the affected families and highlighted the lack of value placed on the lives of the underprivileged by the BJP government.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament Priyanka Chaturvedi criticized the BJP-led state government, characterizing the incident as murder resulting from gross negligence on the part of the unconstitutional state administration. She chastised the government for prioritizing influencer events and foreign trips over their fundamental duty of serving the state.
Supriya Sule, the NCP working president, demanded a thorough investigation into the incident by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and called for the removal of the ministers responsible. She further advocated for compensation to be provided to the grieving families to help them cope with their loss.
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