The Bombay High Court has initiated a significant judicial inquiry into the alarming rise in patient deaths at two state-run hospitals in Maharashtra. Following concerns over the sudden increase in fatalities, especially among infants, the court has established a committee of medical experts to probe the circumstances and recommend preventive measures.
The division bench, led by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice M S Karnik, expressed grave concerns over the incidents reported at the Government Medical College and Hospital in both Nanded and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar districts during October 2023. Notably, the Nanded facility witnessed 31 deaths, including 16 infants, over a few days, while the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar hospital reported 18 fatalities, including infants, within just two days.
These incidents sparked a series of petitions, prompting the court to take suo motu action to address the issue. Although the state government previously informed the court that there was no gross negligence and attributed the high death rates to the hospitals being overwhelmed with critically ill patients from private entities and smaller clinics, the court decided that an expert evaluation was necessary.
“The issue at hand is serious and warrants thorough investigation to ensure it does not recur,” stated Chief Justice Aradhe during the hearing. The appointed committee includes top officials such as the secretary of the public health department, directors of health sciences and medical education, and deans from the state-run J J Hospital in Mumbai and the affected hospitals.
The committee has been tasked with examining the infrastructure, medical facilities, and operational challenges at these hospitals. They are to report their findings and suggest both immediate and long-term improvements within two months.
