Mumbai: A day after a case was filed against Hemant Patil, a Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MP from Nanded, for allegedly forcing Dr. Shankarrao Chavan, the dean of the Government Medical College and Hospital, to clean a dirty toilet, the Maharashtra police have registered a murder case against dean and another doctor for negligence, which caused the death of 31 people.
Besides the dean, another doctor has been named as an accused. Soon after the case, the medical community raised objections, arguing that blaming the doctors for the administrative fault in the deaths at the government-run hospital is unjust, besides terming the murder case a retaliation against the case filed against the Shiv Sena MP.
The FIR was lodged by the relative of a deceased newborn, who alleged negligence on the part of the dean and a child specialist. According to the complaint, the family purchased medicines externally and waited in vain for medical attention. When they sought help from the dean, they were allegedly rebuffed.
This development comes on the heels of the dean filing a police complaint against Lok Sabha MP Hemant Patil, a member of the ruling Shiv Sena, who reportedly compelled him to clean a filthy hospital toilet. Patil had visited the hospital after the alarming surge in deaths and publicly criticized the unsanitary conditions.
In response, the MP now faces charges related to criminal force, defamation, and criminal intimidation, as well as provisions under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The dean, in his complaint, cited the incident as a factor contributing to elevated blood pressure levels.
The hospital has been under scrutiny, with visuals of pigs roaming on the premises raising questions about hygiene. The dean's video cleaning the toilets on the MP's orders went viral, prompting divided reactions on social media. Some supported the MP's action, while others accused the local administration of using diversion tactics to evade responsibility for the hospital's dismal state.
Patients' relatives have alleged a shortage of senior doctors, with junior doctors handling patient care. Furthermore, there are claims of a lack of medicines within the hospital, forcing patients' families to procure them externally.
The Eknath Shinde government has refuted allegations of medicine and doctor shortages, but the situation remains tense as the legal battle unfolds, and questions linger about the hospital's management and the responsibilities of those in charge.