Maha hospital deaths: Minister seeks 4 months for...

In the wake of deaths of several patients at government-run hospitals at Nanded and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in a short span, Maharashtra minister Hasan Mushrif on Thursday said positive changes will be brought in the functioning of the state-run medical facilities in four months.

Thirty-one patients, including several infants, died at the Dr Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital in Nanded in 48 hours since September 30, while the death of 18 patients was recorded at the Government Medical College and Hospital at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar between October 2 and 3, officials said.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Mushrif said, "The Maharashtra government has already taken a decision to perform all types of complicated surgeries in the state-run hospitals using the public private partnership (PPP) model. We will try to implement it effectively at the earliest."

The medical education minister added, "I have taken charge (of the ministry) just two months back. I can assure that you will see good changes in four months in all the medical colleges attached to government hospitals -- be it Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) or Nagpur. I will definitely start health services, such as kidney transplant and liver transplant, at these hospitals."

The Bombay high court on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of the deaths at the state-run hospitals in Nanded and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar cities, and noted that the reasons given by doctors citing the shortage of beds, staff, and essential medicines cannot be accepted.

A day earlier, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said his government had taken the deaths at the Nanded hospital very seriously, and appropriate action would be taken after a detailed inquiry. He denied that there were shortages of medicines and staff.