As grief mounts in Nanded, parents blame 'irresponsible staff' after hospital death toll reaches 31

A father, whose newborn child was among the 31 patients who died at a government hospital in Maharashtra's Nanded within 48 hours, has blamed negligence by doctors for his loss.

The distraught Nagesh Solanke said that his wife had undergone a C-section procedure at a private hospital where the baby was delivered, adding the child was later brought to the government hospital for treatment.

“My child was not underweight and was absolutely fine...don't know what happened to my child who is now no more. I lost my baby, my wife suffered permanent damage to her health due to the caesarean-section. I have lost everything,” Solanke said.

“I Don’t know how to inform my wife about the death of our son, I fear it will deteriorate her condition,” another parent Azeem Khan told The Indian Express. Khan’s wife gave birth to a baby boy in a government hospital in Parbhani. However, the doctors informed him that during the operation contaminated water had entered the newborn’s mouth and he needed to be put on a ventilator. The doctors sent the parents to the hospital in Nanded where after three days of treatment, their child was declared dead. 

“Despite Parbhani doctors saying my son needed a ventilator, the doctors did not put my son on a ventilator,” Khan told the publication.

According to latest reports, in 48 hours, 31 patients, including 16 newborns were recorded at the Dr Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital in central Maharashtra's Nanded district since September 30.

While senior doctors remain “unclear” about the cause behind the sudden rise in deaths, grieving parents placed the blame on irresponsible staff and shortage of medicines behind the tragedy. 

A father of two-year-old who suffers from a chronic heart problem told NDTV that their child needs a surgery for her heart problem but also suffers from pneumonia. Before heading to Mumbai for the surgery, they came to the hospital in Nanded to get treatment for pneumonia. 

"Nurses make us wait if we ask them to turn off the intravenous fluids. Sometimes, we have to do it ourselves. The nurses sit outside and are on their phones. They get angry if we ask them twice," the father told the publication. 

He went on to narrate how he tried to insert an intravenous tube once and a little blood oozed out. Despite that, he failed to get the attention of the nurses. 

"The cleaning staff ask us to clean under the beds and I have been doing that for the past two days," said the father as another patient’s relative added that the bathrooms in the hospital were dirty and all the stale food was being dumped there. While the hospital did have machines, they didn’t work and the patients were required to go out to get tests done including MRIs and CT scans, they added. 

Other patients and their relatives in the hospital echo the same sentiment as some of them have been undergoing treatment for several days while many have lost their loved ones. 

At the weekly Cabinet meeting, Shinde reviewed the emerging situation from Health Minister Dr Tanaji Sawant, Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif and Nanded district Guardian Minister Girish Mahajan.

Mushrif has said that situation on the facility will improve in 15 days.

“There was a sudden rise in admissions of patients as there were holidays and private health facilities were shut. The post of hospital dean will be filled immediately. If there is a shortage of doctors at the hospital, private physicians can be hired. Manpower and infrastructure of the facility needs to be increased and upgraded,” the minister added. 

(With PTI, DHNS inputs)