Shiv Sena MP Hemant Patil had made the dean clean toilets at the hospital
A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder has been registered against the dean at the government-run medical college and hospital in Maharashtra's Nanded after the facility reported 31 deaths in 72 hours. Besides the dean, another doctor has been named as an accused.
The FIR against acting dean Dr SR Wakode and another doctor has been registered by Nanded rural police following a complaint by the relative of a newborn who died at the hospital. Conviction for culpable homicide not amounting to murder attracts jail term up to 10 years.
The complainant has alleged that the newborn died due to the negligence of the dean and the child specialist. The family bought the medicines from outside the hospital and waited, but no doctor attended to the newborn, the complainant has alleged. When they went to the dean's office for help, they were driven away, the complaint says.
This comes a day after the dean filed a police complaint against an MP of the ruling Shiv Sena, who made him clean a filthy toilet at the hospital on Tuesday.
Hemant Patil, Lok Sabha MP from Nanded, visited the Dr Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday after it made headlines with 31 deaths in 72 hours. These dead included 16 children.
During his visit, the MP told the media that he was pained to see the state of the toilets in the hospital. "The government spends crores, but I am pained to see the situation here. The toilets have not been cleaned for months. The toilets in the wards of the hospital are locked. No water is available in toilets," Mr Patil was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Following Mr Wakode's complaint, Mr Patil was charged with IPC provisions relating to criminal force to deter a public servant from doing his duty, defamation and criminal intimidation. The MP was also charged under relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The hospital's dean had said in his complaint that the MP's conduct had raised his blood pressure levels.
The video of the hospital dean cleaning the toilets on the MP's instructions had gone viral. The visuals had sparked strong reactions on social media - some users backed the MP for the action against the dean, while others said the local administration was using diversion tactics to evade responsibility for the dismal state of the state-run hospital.
Visuals of pigs roaming around on the hospital premises have raised big questions on the level of hygiene at the health facility.
The Eknath Shinde government has denied any shortage of medicine and doctors at the hospital. Patients' relatives have, however, alleged that senior doctors were not available and junior doctors were attending to patients. They also alleged that medicines were not available at the hospital and patients' relatives were asked to get them from outside.
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