Maharashtra: 18 Patients Die In 24 Hours In A Civic-Run Hospital In Thane

In a shocking incident that took place in Maharashtra's Thane, at least eighteen patients lost their lives in the last 24 hours in civic-run Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa. According to the police, the management cited the critical nature of the patients as well as age as the cause of the death.

State health minister Sawant said the dean of the hospital has been asked to submit a report in two days.

"18 deaths have been reported in the last 48 hours. Some of the patients who have died were already receiving treatment for various ailments including chronic kidney disease, pneumonia, kerosene poisoning, road accident, and other reasons. I have briefed the CM on these deaths. A committee will be constituted for an impartial investigation into this incident to find out if the patients received optimal treatment," Thane Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar was quoted as saying.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Ganesh Gawde said, "The hospital management told us some of the patients arrived there in a critical stage and succumbed during treatment. Some were elderly. We have increased police presence at the hospital to avoid any untoward incident due to this high number of deaths."

"Action will be taken 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 said.

Former Thane mayor Naresh Mhakse, who is also spokesperson of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, said the hospital was "overloaded" and was treating 650 patients per day against a capacity of 500.

Hospital sources, meanwhile, said some doctors were down with dengue which was also affecting the running of the facility.