18 deaths in 24 hours at Thane hospital; probe panel formed

Eighteen patients have died in the last 24 hours at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa in Thane, civic commissioner Abhijit Bangar said on Sunday.
These comprise 10 women and eight men, of which six are from Thane city, four from Kalyan, three from Sahapur, one each from Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar and Govandi (in Mumbai), one patient is from some other place and one is unidentified, he said.
Twelve of the deceased were above the age of 50, Bangar added.
Earlier, state health minister Tanaji Sawant and local Deputy Commissioner of Police Ganesh Gawde had put the number of deaths at 17.
Addressing a news conference, Bangar said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had taken feedback about the situation and had ordered the setting up of an independent probe committee that will be headed by the commissioner of health services and will include collector, civic chief, director of health services, interventionist at state-run JJ Hospital in Mumbai and civic surgeon.
It will carry out probe into the clinical aspect of the deaths, he added.
These patients had complications of kidney stone, chronic paralysis, ulcer, pneumonia, kerosene poisoning, septicemia etc, he said.
“The line of treatment will be probed and statements of kin of the deceased etc will be recorded. Allegations of negligence levelled by some kin is a serious matter, which the probe committee will look into,” Bangar said.
“The entire COVID staff of 500 has been shifted to this hospital and additional nursing staff has been appointed. We are also aiming to have round the clock post mortem facility here,” he told reporters.
Earlier in the day, state health minister Sawant said the dean of the hospital had been asked to submit a report in two days.
A Thane Municipal Corporation official said the deaths were being analysed and several civic officials are at the heavily-patronised facility for inspection of records etc.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Ganesh Gawde said, “We have information of 17 deaths in the last 24 hours. We have been told the usual figure per day is six to seven.” “The hospital management told us some of the patients arrived there in a critical stage and succumbed during treatment. Some were elderly. We have increased police presence at the hospital to avoid any untoward incident due to these high number of deaths,” the DCP informed.
NCP leader and MLA from the region Jitendra Awhad said the hospital was mismanaged and asked the administration to set things right before it was too late.
State minister Aditi Tatkare, who visited the hospital.