INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
THANE: Eighteen patients admitted at civic-run Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital (CSMH) in Maharashtra's Kalwa died due to various
reasons in a 24-hour period, making up for almost four times the daily average of deaths reported here.The high mortality in the stronghold
of CM Eknath Shinde's Thane district triggered a political drama from the opposition parties on Sunday, prompting the civic administration
to announce a high-level inquiry into the deaths by the directorate of health services
Eight of the patients were brought in a critical condition
Nearly 70% of the victims were over 50 years of age
Last Friday, some political activists had tried to stage a protest outside the hospital alleging six deaths occurred due to medical
negligence there in a day
Shinde told TOI action would be taken against those responsible for the tragedy after the inquiry committee submits its report
We know patients were admitted on different days
Many were referred from private hospitals after their condition became critical
Public health minister Tanaji Sawant said the report would be submitted in two days, but local officials said it would take 15 days
This will only be clear once the report is submitted
Thane municipal commissioner Abhijit Bangar told reporters there was no common condition or problems among the patients
included 10 women and eight men of which six were from Thane city, four from Kalyan, three from Shahapur, two from Mumbai, one each from
Bhiwandi and Ulhasnagar while one patient is unidentified
Doctors said the hospital was overcrowded due to the temporary shifting of the other public hospital, the Thane Civil Hospital, to a
Around half of the 336 beds there are lying vacant
fire-fighting mission to the Kalwa hospital
He denied possibilities of infection in the ICU
However, relatives claimed their patients were not getting adequate attention due to shortage of staff
Bangar dismissed these claims, saying that 500 staff from Covid teams were shifted here and additional nursing staff also appointed.
