Mumbai, March 18 (IANS) The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray criticised the BJP-led Mahayuti government on Wednesday, saying that the public healthcare system in Maharashtra is on a ‘ventilator, and the healthcare system has been eroded by corruption and mismanagement, which must be addressed before asserting claims of achieving world-class status.
Referring to the death of an elderly woman in Mumbai western suburb Bhayander after a rate gnawed at here hand while she was in the ICU, the Thackeray camp in the party’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ editorial claimed that the tragedy highlights a painful contrast: “while the government speaks of progress, infants continue to die of malnutrition in tribal areas, and an elderly woman dies from a rat bite in a city right next to Mumbai. The ICU was located on the fourth floor, yet a rat managed to reach a patient on a ventilator and gnawed her hand without any staff member noticing. The bleeding continued until her relatives arrived in the morning and raised an alarm, but by then it was too late. This horrific event has stripped away any dignity left in the government healthcare system.”
According to the editorial, the hospital administration’s response to the tragedy has been “ridiculous and shameful” as it suggested that rats might have entered the premises due to ongoing construction in a nearby building. This logic further alarms other patients currently under their care. While the administration claimed they had a contract for pest control and medicinal spraying, the editorial argued that this is an admission of an existing rat infestation that they failed to control. Calls are now growing for a criminal case to be filed against the hospital administration for their fatal negligence, said the editorial.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena said the incident has sparked a heated debate regarding the state of public health in Maharashtra, exposing a dual infestation: rats in the hospitals and corruption in the health department. Rather than focusing on healthcare, the authorities seem more concerned with the “financial health” of contractors and suppliers to line their own pockets.
“While the government boasts of world-class services, the public health budget was reportedly slashed by approximately Rs 5,000 crore. Nationwide, for a population of 140 crore, there are only about 1.3 to 1.4 million hospital beds available. Public health spending remains stagnant at only 2.5 per cent of the GDP. In tribal areas, mothers and children continue to die from malnutrition,” remarked the Thackeray camp.
“Just two weeks ago, in the state budget, the government made grand announcements regarding healthcare facilities. However, a soul-shaking incident in Bhayander has completely exposed these claims,” concluded the editorial.
–IANS
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