As Nanded hospital death toll rises to 31, Sambhajinagar hospital reports 18 deaths

With over a dozen dead in State-run hospitals in two districts of Maharashtra in little over 48 hours, the Opposition has slammed the government for gross negligence, and trigged calls for an investigation. Authorities on Tuesday confirmed an additional seven patient fatalities, including four newborns, between October 1 and 2, at Dr. Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital, Nanded which had already witnessed the deaths of 24 patients, including 12 newborns, a day earlier. “The facts related to the death of patients at Dr. Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital are as follows: 24 deaths between September 30 and October 1; seven deaths between October 1 and 2. In response to the crisis, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the government had taken the deaths at Nanded Hospital “very seriously”, and appropriate action would be taken after a detailed inquiry while denying that there were shortages of medicines and staff. Accusing the Maharashtra government of being “careless”, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed the incident as “extremely painful.” Taking to the microblogging site ‘X’, Mr. Kejriwal said, “This news of death of 24 people including 12 newborns in a government hospital in Nanded, Maharashtra is very painful.