State's health on ventilator: MNS chief Raj Thackeray slams Maharashtra government over Nanded deaths

File Photo/PTI

Raj Thackeray, the chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, took a swipe at the "three engine" Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra as the death toll in Nanded Civil hospital rose to 31. He said, "What is the use of three engines if the health of the state is on a ventilator? As all the three parties of the government have insured themselves adequately, they are not worried at all, but what about Maharashtra?"

Thackeray expressed his concern about the situation on X, stating, "In the last 24 hours, 24 deaths occurred in the government hospital in Nanded. This incident is very unfortunate. A similar incident also took place in Madantari Thane. There is a shortage of medicine in government hospitals in the state. It is known that in Mumbai, due to a shortage of TB medicine, advice is being given to 'provide medicine and use it'. And these incidents are not limited to Nanded, Thane, and Mumbai but everywhere."

Congress leader Ashok Chavan also weighed in, saying, "The death toll continues in Nanded. 7 more patients unfortunately died in Government Medical College Hospital since yesterday. 4 children are also included in the dead. The state government should determine the responsibility."

The dean of Dr. Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital in Nanded, Shyamrao Wakode, refuted allegations of negligence against the hospital. He explained, "Around 12 children died in the last 24 hours...12 adults also died due to various ailments (snake bites, arsenic and phosphorus poisoning etc). Due to transfers of various staff, there was some difficulty for us...We were supposed to buy medicines from the Haffkine Institute but that also didn't happen....Also, patients come from far off to this hospital and there were many patients whose sanctioned budget also got disturbed..."

Also read: Maharashtra hospital deaths: No medicine shortage, says Nanded hospital dean

Minister of Medical Education of Maharashtra, Hasan Mushrif, countered the medicine shortage claims, saying, "There was no shortage of medicine in the hospital. I have been informed by the dean, so we have formed a committee to look into the incident. I will also be visiting Nanded."

Prakash Ambedkar criticized the BJP-led Maharashtra administration, stating, "Eknath Shinde and the BJP-led Maharashtra administration MURDERED these precious 24 human lives in #Nanded. My wife and I were devastated to hear that the 24 lives included 12 infants. We cannot even imagine what the parents, especially the mothers, of the infants must be going through."

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge expressed condolences and called for a detailed investigation. He said, "The news of the death of 24 patients, including 12 infants, in a civil hospital in Nanded, Maharashtra is extremely painful, serious, and worrying...We demand a detailed investigation so that the culprits of this negligence are given strict punishment from the judiciary."