Uddhav Thackeray, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief, has launched a strong critique of the Maharashtra government led by Eknath Shinde regarding its management of deaths at a state-run hospital. Thackeray has also castigated Shiv Sena MP Hemant Patil for an incident where a dean from a tribal community was made to clean a dirty bathroom and urinals.
During his address on Friday, Uddhav Thackeray expressed grave concerns about the state's healthcare infrastructure and alleged corrupt governance and negligence on the part of the Maharashtra government. These remarks come in the wake of a tragic incident at a government hospital in Maharashtra's Nanded district, where over 30 patients lost their lives within a 48-hour period.
Uddhav Thackeray raised questions about the state government's priorities, mentioning the government's foreign tours while citing a shortage of medicines across the state's healthcare facilities. He called for a CBI investigation into the state government's actions and questioned why the healthcare infrastructure, which functioned effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic, is now faltering.
Thackeray highlighted a viral video in which a woman claimed she was asked to purchase medicine from outside the hospital and questioned the source of funding for such expenses, whether it be from government schemes or assistance funds. He also expressed concern that doctors are being unfairly targeted and urged members of his party to engage with the deans of government hospitals to assess medicine availability within these facilities.
In response, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde defended his government, acknowledging the demand for a CBI inquiry and mentioning past corruption scandals during the Covid-19 pandemic. Shinde criticized the politicization of the tragic incident in Nanded and alluded to alleged corruption involving body bags and oxygen plants during Thackeray's tenure.
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