In a tragic development, an FIR has been filed against the acting dean and a doctor at Dr.Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital in Maharashtra’s Nanded district. This action comes in response to the distressing loss of 31 patients within a mere 48-hour period, leading to allegations of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The case was initiated following a formal complaint lodged by an individual who tragically lost his daughter and her newborn child at the hospital. The two medical professionals in question, acting dean S R Wakode and a head pediatrician, now face charges under specific sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 34 (common intention).
The unfortunate sequence of events began when a 21-year-old patient named Anjali was admitted to the hospital at approximately 8 p.m. on September 30. She successfully gave birth to a baby girl around 1 a.m. on October 1, and initial reports indicated the well-being of both mother and child.
However, the situation took a dire turn as Anjali started experiencing severe bleeding, and her baby’s health deteriorated. Allegedly, doctors instructed the family to procure essential medicines, a blood bag, and other critical supplies from outside the hospital. Shockingly, when these crucial items were brought in, there were no medical personnel present in the ward.
Anjali’s father, Kamaji Tompe, has accused Dr.Wakode of deliberately neglecting his daughter’s condition by failing to dispatch a doctor or nurse to assess her. Heartbreakingly, the doctors later delivered the devastating news that Anjali’s baby had passed away, and this was communicated to the family at 6 a.m. on October 2. Anjali herself was declared deceased at 10:30 a.m. on October 4.
Tompe’s formal complaint further asserts that Dr.Wakode intentionally obstructed medical treatment for his daughter and instructed the family to purchase medications worth Rs 45,000 externally. He also claimed to have personally witnessed the deaths of several patients due to the unavailability of doctors, nurses, and essential medicines.
As the investigation proceeds, Dr.Wakode has yet to provide a response to the allegations.
In response to these distressing incidents, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has expressed profound concern and assured that the government is treating the deaths at the Nanded hospital with utmost seriousness. He has pledged that appropriate action will be taken once a thorough investigation is carried out, refuting claims of shortages of medicines and staff.
Given the gravity of the situation, the Bombay High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the fatalities not only at the Nanded hospital but also at another state-run facility in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The court has dismissed doctors’ explanations citing shortages of beds, staff, and essential medicines and has called for comprehensive information from the Maharashtra government.