Maharashtra hospital deaths: CM Shinde orders collectors to visit healthcare facilities in their districts

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Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday ordered every district collector in Maharashtra to immediately visit and inspect all government hospitals, municipal and municipal hospitals, primary health centers, and hospitals under the jurisdiction of medical colleges and submit a report on the current situation.

CM Shinde also gave clear instructions for district collectors to visit government hospitals on a regular basis and said that there is total medicine and powers have also been given to the District Collector, ANI reported. He also directed officials to ensure that there is no delay in the purchase of medicine.

Chief Secretary Manoj Saunik, Additional Chief Secretary of Public Health Department Milind Mhaiskar, Principal Secretary of Medical Education Department Dinesh Waghmare, along with senior officials of the Health and Medical Education Departments and all the collectors of the state, were present in this meeting.

"The health system is the highest priority of the state government, and the state government is working to prepare a short-term and long-term plan for strengthening the health system and will not let the funds fall short to implement it," he said.

"District collectors should consider the responsibility of the health system in their district and visit different government hospitals in the district every day to review and take appropriate steps immediately," he said.

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Divisional Commissioners, Collectors, Superintendents of Hospitals, and District Surgeons should work as a team for the health system; necessary funds and additional equipment should be provided promptly if required, he added.

He said that if there is a shortage of manpower, then outsourcing of man powers can also be done at the district level, so if the efforts of the government to provide quality health facilities to the people of the state are delayed due to a lack of resources and manpower, the concerned person will be held responsible and action will be taken. "Any reason for the lack of medicines and manpower will not be tolerated," he warned.

There is a state-level dashboard regarding the availability of medicines; it should be used effectively by all the hospitals so that it is possible to purchase urgently needed medicines, he said.

This comes days after 31 people died in the government-run Dr Shankarrao Chavan Medical College and Hospital Nanded, reportedly due to an alleged scarcity of medicines.

Between Saturday and Sunday, a total of 24 patients, including newborns, were reported dead with seven more deaths reported on Tuesday.

The incident has prompted the Maharashtra government to form a state-level committee to investigate the death cases. CM Shinde has assured that strict action will be taken against those responsible for the deaths. (ANI)