Maha govt claims facilities burdened; HC says state can’t escape its duty

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government on Friday told the Bombay High Court that the state-run hospitals in Nanded and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar which recently saw a spurt in patient deaths faced a heavy inflow of extremely critical patients from private hospitals. However, the court said the state can’t escape its responsibility.

The state government also told a division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Arif Doctor that there does not seem to be any gross negligence on the part of the state-run hospitals.

According to officials, 31 patients, including many 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, earlier known as Aurangabad, between October 2 and 3.

The bench had earlier this week taken suo motu cognisance of the deaths.

Advocate General Birendra Saraf, appearing for the government, told the court on Friday that all medicines and other equipment required at the hospitals for the management of patients were available and administered as per protocol.