MUMBAI: Eighteen patients are reported to have died in the last 24 hours at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa in Maharashtra’s Thane, according to civic commissioner Abhijit Bangar on Sunday, August 13.
The shocking number of deaths within a span of just one day has led to concerns being raised about the reasons behind them and a probe has been initiated.
Those that died comprise 10 women and eight men, of which six are said to hail from Maharashtra’s Thane city, four from Kalyan, three from Sahapur, one each from Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar and Govandi (in Mumbai). While one patient is from some as yet unknown place, another remains unidentified, Bangar said.
Bangar also added that twelve of the deceased were above the age of 50 years.
Earlier, Maharashtra state health minister Tanaji Sawant and local Deputy Commissioner of Police Ganesh Gawde had pegged the number of deaths at 17.
While addressing a news conference on the matter, Bangar informed that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had asked for feedback about the situation and had ordered the setting up of an independent probe committee to be headed by the commissioner of health services and is to include the collector, civic chief, director of health services, interventionist at State-run J. J. Hospital in Mumbai and a civic surgeon.
The committee has been assigned the task of carrying out a probe into the clinical aspect of the deaths, he added.
Moreover, he said, the deceased patients were known to have complications of kidney stone, chronic paralysis, ulcer, pneumonia, kerosene poisoning, septicemia etc, he said.
"The line of treatment will be probed and statements of kin of the deceased etc will be recorded. Allegations of negligence levelled by some kin is a serious matter, which the probe committee will look into," Bangar said.
He also told reporters that the entire COVID staff of 500 personnel has been shifted to the hospital involved and additional nursing staff has been appointed. He also informed that they are aiming to have round the clock post mortem facility in the hospital to determine the exact cause of the deaths .
Earlier in the day, the state health minister had mentioned that the dean of the hospital had been asked to submit a report within two days.
A Thane Municipal Corporation official added that an analysis of the deaths was being done that that several civic officials are present for inspection of records etc at the facility known to be heavily patronised.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Ganesh Gawde told reporters that information of 17 deaths in the last 24 hours was available, adding that the usual death figure per day is six to seven, a fact that he had been given.
DCP Gawde informed about the hospital management telling them that some of the patients had arrived there in a critical stage and succumbed during treatment. He added that some were elderly people.
“We have increased police presence at the hospital to avoid any untoward incident due to this high number of deaths," the DCP said.
Talking on the issue, the health minister said that, of the 17 deceased, a total of 13 were admitted in the ICU. Health minister Sawant added that five patients had died in the hospital a few days ago.
Sawant told reporters in Pune that action will be taken against anyone found responsible for any lapse as per the report of the dean. “This hospital comes under the state medical education and research department. Its minister Hasan Mushrif has reached the hospital and he is looking into the matter," Sawant added.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Girish Mahajan underlined that it was a matter of concern that 16 deaths had occurred in a single day in a hospital with a capacity of 500.
In addition, NCP leader and MLA from the region Jitendra Awhad alleged that the hospital was mismanaged and directed the hospital administration to set things right before it was too late.
Moreover, state minister Aditi Tatkare, paid a visit to the hospital and called the deaths unfortunate and assured that the Maharashtra government will make all effort to ensure that such an incident is not repeated.
Former Thane mayor Naresh Mhakse, who is also known as a spokesperson of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, remarked that the hospital was "over loaded" and was attending to the treatment of 650 patients per day against a capacity of 500.
Due to the civil hospital in the area undergoing renovation, the load of patients falls on the facility in Kalwa, Mhaske is said to have claimed.
Meanwhile, hospital sources informed that some of the doctors were down with dengue, which may also be affecting the running of the facility.
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