The high mortality in CM Eknath Shinde’s Thane stronghold triggered a political drama by 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, including a four-year-old boy who had consumed kerosene, were brought in a critical condition and died within 24 hours of admission, while roughly 70% of the victims were over 50 years of age. Thirteen of the deaths occurred in the ICU, triggering rumours there was a fault with the oxygen lines-a charge the hospital denied.
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.
Kalwa Facility Denies ICU infections, Docs Say 650 Admitted Despite 500-Bed Capacity
Eighteen patients died in a span of 24 hours at the civic-run Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa. CM Eknath Shinde, who was in his village Dare in Satara district, told TOI that action would be taken against those responsible for the tragedy after the inquiry committee submits its report. “This is an unfortunate incident and we have taken it very seriously. We know that patients were admitted on different days. Many were referred from private hospitals after their condition became critical. We have the facts and now await a detailed analysis,” said Shinde.
Public health minister Tanaji Sawant, who was in Pune, said the report would be submitted in two days, but local officials said it would take 15 days. “A report has been sought to check if there was any negligence on the part of the dean. This will only be clear once the report is submitted. Action will be taken with the approval of the chief minister,” Sawant said. Thane municipal commissioner Abhijit Bangar told reporters that there was no common condition or problems among the patients. “These patients had complications of kidney stones, chronic paralysis, ulcer, pneumonia, kerosene poisoning, septicaemia etc,’’ he said. The deceased included 10 women and eight men—six were from Thane city, four from Kalyan, three from Shahapur, two from Mumbai, one each from Bhiwandi and Ulhasnagar and one patient was unidentified.
Doctors said the hospital was overcrowded due to the temporary shifting of the other public hospital, the Thane Civil Hospital, to a different address. “The civil hospital has not been shut down, it has only been temporarily relocated. Around half of the 336 beds there are lying vacant. I have asked officials to publicise the same so that patients don’t crowd here,’’ said education minister Deepak Kesarkar, who was sent on a firefighting mission to the Kalwa hospital.
Kalwa hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Aniruddha Malgaonkar said some patients were brought in in a critical stage and succumbed during treatment. He denied possibilities of infection in the ICU. However, relatives claimed their patients were not getting adequate attention due to shortage of staff. It is learned that a few doctors operating here were unwell, resulting in the administration planning to relocate staff from health centres. Bangar dismissed claims of inadequate staff, saying 500 staff from Covid teams were shifted here and additional nursing staff was also appointed. DCP Ganesh Gawde said that they had increased police presence at the hospital to avoid any untoward incident due to the high number of deaths.
