Weeks after 38 patients died in 72 hours at Dr Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital, in Nanded, last week. Paucity of staff and inadequate medical supplies, reportedly led to the deaths. The hospital was also overcrowded with patients at the time. In this backdrop and following a public outcry, the state government on Monday ordered an overhaul of the system under a programme titled ‘Vision 2035.
In a meeting held in Mantralaya, chief minister Eknath Shinde asked officials of the public health department to come up with a plan in 15 days to build government hospitals in 25 districts. He also told the administration to complete the process of procuring medicines and fill up vacancies in all hospitals immediately. A presentation made by the public health department underlined that of 34 district hospitals it runs, the department has handed over 13 to be aligned with respective medical colleges. 12 district hospitals will be aligned with upcoming medical colleges in various districts. That leaves only nine independent government hospitals in the districts; hence the department expressed the need for new hospitals to strengthen the state’s healthcare. After hearing the officials, the CM directed the department to prepare a plan for new state-of-the-art hospitals in 25 districts.
Additionally, Shinde also ordered that 14 existing hospitals exclusively for women – called Stree Rugnalaya.There are 19,695 vacancies – across hierarchies, including class 4 staff – at the hospitals. The CM asked the department to fill the positions by next month. He has also directed the department to immediately appoint an IAS officer as the chief executive officer of the Maharashtra Medical Procurement Authority, after the Bombay high court recently rapped the government for its failure to appoint the CEO which could affect the procurement of medicines for government hospitals.