Maharashtra: Civic run hospital in Thane sees 17 deaths in 24 hours; report sought, says health minister

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Seventeen patients have died in the last 24 hours in civic-run Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa in Thane city, Maharashtra minister Tanaji Sawant and a senior police official said on Sunday.

The police official said the management of the facility have cited critical nature of the patients as well as age as causes.

State health minister Sawant said the dean of the hospital has been asked to submit a report in two days.

A Thane Municipal Corporation official said the deaths were being analysed and several civic officials are at the heavily-patronised facility for inspection of records etc.

Some officials put the toll at 18 but this could not be confirmed.

Speaking to PTI, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ganesh Gawde said, "We have information of 17 deaths in the last 24 hours. We have been told the usual figure per day is six to seven."

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"The hospital management told us some of the patients arrived there in a critical stage and succumbed during treatment. Some were elderly. We have increased police presence at the hospital to avoid any untoward incident due to these high number of deaths," the DCP informed.

Sawant said the dean of the hospital has been asked to submit a report in two days on the 17 deaths in the last 24 hours.

"Of these 17, a total of 13 were in the ICU. A few days ago, five patients had died in the hospital. The state government has asked the dean to submit a report in two days," the minister told reporters in Pune.

"Action will be taken as per the report of the dean. This hospital comes under the state medical education and research department. Its minister Hasan Mushrif has reached the hospital and he is looking into the matter," Sawant said.

The police's anti-narcotics cell (ANC) has seized a stock of cough syrups worth Rs 2.69 lakh stored illegally in a house in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Sunday.

Based on complaints and a tip-off, the ANC raided a flat in Shil Phata area here on August 10 and seized 1,611 bottles of two cough syrup variants, senior police inspector Sanjay Shinde said.

The flat occupant, identified as Simab Ismail Sheikh (25), did not possess a license to stock and sell the medicines, the official said.

An offence was registered against the person under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, the official said, adding no arrest has been made so far in this connection. (Agencies)