Shillong, October 3: The government hospital in Maharashtra’s Nanded continues to witness a distressing situation as seven more individuals, including four infants, succumbed to various health issues since the night of October 2.
As per IANS, the total death toll reached 31 on Tuesday.
Former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan expressed concern about the ongoing tragedy and called for the government to hold those responsible accountable.
Facing criticism from various quarters, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated that he would gather full details on the incident before taking further action.
Leaders including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed grief over the tragedy and criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), demanding remedial measures.
Kharge highlighted a previous incident in August 2023, where 18 individuals had died in a Thane hospital, raising questions about the state’s health department. He called for a thorough investigation into the Nanded tragedy and strict punishment for those responsible.
Rahul Gandhi criticized the BJP government for prioritizing publicity over providing essential medicines for children in need.
Priyanka Vadra urged the government to take strong actions against those responsible and provide compensation to the victims’ families.
Several other political leaders, including Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule, Jayant Patil, Aditya Thackeray, Sanjay Raut, Sushma Andhare, and Sandeep Deshpande, also expressed their concerns and demanded accountability for the deaths at the Nanded hospital.
Supriya Sule demanded the resignation of Health Minister Tanaji Sawant, holding the Maharashtra government responsible for the tragic deaths.
The tragic incident came to light on Monday when it was revealed that 24 individuals, including 12 infants, had died at the Dr. Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College & Hospital in Nanded. The hospital cited issues such as a shortage of nursing and medical staff, non-functional equipment, and certain departments being inoperational as contributing factors to the situation.