31 patients, including 12 infants, lost their lives in the last 48 hours at Dr Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital in Maharashtra’s Nanded City.

""Around 12 children died in the last 24 hours...12 adults also died due to various ailments (snake bites, arsenic and phosphorus poisoning, etc.). Due to transfers of various staff, there was some difficulty for us...We were supposed to buy medicines from the Haffkine Institute but that also didn't happen....Also, patients come from far off to this hospital and there were many patients whose sanctioned budget also got disturbed..."", Dr Shyamrao Wakode of the Government Medical College, was quoted by news agency ANI on Monday.

Reasons like: Inadequate facilities, shortage of staff, and medicines claiming 31 lives?

Interestingly, Around 24 hours later, Shyamrao Wakode, dean of the college made a fresh statement rejecting allegations of negligence against the hospital.

The Maharashtra government has formed an inquiry committee to probe these deaths.

According to Congress leader Ashok Chavan: There were vacant posts after the transfer of some nurses, while there is also a shortage of medical officers.

So, is this the condition of government hospitals in a state like Maharashtra? So, Where should those who cannot afford private hospitals go? Or are their lives not important? Is the right to healthcare only limited to books?

Supreme Court in Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity case (1996) held that in a welfare state, the primary duty of the government is to secure the welfare of the people and moreover, it is the obligation of the government to provide adequate medical facilities for its people. I am not saying this the Supreme Court has said this.

The condition of as many as 71 patients at the hospital is still critical.

Now, the story is not limited to Nanded. 10 patients, including two infants, have reportedly died in 24 hours in Sambhajinagar’s Ghati Hospital.

A sad day for Maharashtra, may god give strength to the families of the deceased. We hope that things will improve and not be limited to inquiry committees and a better healthcare will be the p[priority of the government so that no lives are lost because of a lack of healthcare staff or medicines.

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