Jalgaon patient’s body found in hospital’s toilet: Maharashtra health minister admits to lapses

Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope has admitted to lapses in an incident from Jalgaon Civil Hospital, where the body of an 82-year-old Covid-19 patient was

Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope has admitted to lapses in an incident from Jalgaon Civil Hospital, where the body of an 82-year-old Covid-19 patient was found from the hospital’s toilet on Wednesday, after she went missing from the hospital on June 2. Tope said that action has been initiated against the dean of the medical college and other officials concerned.

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“I admit that the Jalgaon incident is true. We took strict cognisance of the negligence and suspended the dean, superintendent, professor and nursing staff of the hospital based on an initial report. We will ensure that no such cases take place henceforth in Maharashtra,” Tope said.

State home minister Anil Deshmukh too said that stern action has been taken in the Jalgaon incident.

Speaking to ANI, Deshmukh said, “We have taken a serious note of the Jalgaon incident. A few have already been booked for this criminal offence, while stern action is being taken against those responsible for the inhuman act. An inquiry is ongoing.”

Earlier, two cases of missing patients have been reported from hospitals in Sion and Kandivli, even as Maharashtra has over 97,000 cases – the highest number in the country.

“There have been two incidents – one in Sion and the other at Kandivli. In the latter, when the patient had left his bed, the staff thought he had been to the toilet. But the man left the hospital and was absconding,” Tope said.

A repeat of such incidents has raised questions over the efficacy of the state’s health care machinery to deal with the rising number of Covid-19.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is in the Opposition in the state, has slammed the Maharashtra government and its agencies for the negligence.