Maharashtra govt forms probe, after 17 die in Maharashtra's Thane hospital

Seventeen patients died in 24 hours at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa in Thane, civic commissioner Abhijit Bangar informed on Sunday. These include 10 women and eight men, six of whom are from Thane city, four from Kalyan, three from Sahapur, one each from Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar, and Govandi (in Mumbai), one patient is from another place and one is unidentified, he stated, further informing that 12 of the deceased were above the age of 50.

During a news conference, the civic commissioner said that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde took feedback about the situation and ordered the constitution of an independent probe committee to be headed by the commissioner of health services, news agency PTI reported. It will also comprise collector, civic chief, director of health services, and interventionist at the state-run JJ Hospital in Mumbai, also a civic surgeon.The committee will carry out a probe into the clinical aspect of the deaths, he added.

According to Bangar, these deceased patients had complications of kidney stone, chronic paralysis, ulcer, pneumonia, kerosene poisoning, septicemia, etc."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, as quoted by PTI."The entire COVID staff of 500 has been shifted to this hospital and additional nursing staff has been appointed. We are also aiming to have round-the-clock post-mortem facility here," he added.Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar addressing a presser said the committee will look into details as the number of deaths is more than normal. "If some negligence is found those people will be punished, compensation will be given for those who have died because of negligence," he assured.Kesarkar asserted that no negligence was found in the primary investigation, but a detailed probe will be done by a high-power committee. "Our sympathies are with the families," he remarked