Nanded Horror – on the deaths of children in Maharashtra

Source: This post has been created based on the article “Nanded Horror” published in the Times of India on 5^th October 2023.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: Social Justice – Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health

News: Recent deaths in a Nanded hospital point to the prevailing issues with the health sector in India, especially the challenge of medicine shortage.

What are the reasons behind the Nanded tragedy in Maharashtra?

Government hospitals are in crisis not only in remote areas of a poor state but also in Maharashtra – the state with the largest economy.

Hospitals in Maharasthra have been facing many challenges off lately. Following are some of those challenges:

1) Nurses transferred without replacement and vacancies of doctors’ posts.

2) Non-functional CT scanners.

3) Garbage pileups and filthy toilets.

4) An immense shortage of essential medicines.

Government hospitals across Maharashtra are facing medicine shortages as a result of a faulty system of procurement and supply of medicines. Government’s inability to replace it with a new nodal body created under the recently passed Medical Goods Procurement Act is making the issue worse.

What should be done?

Accountability of governments towards healthcare has to be ensured to control the deep crisis in public health as seen in the sharp spikes in hospital deaths.

In this regard, Bombay High Court’s decision to review the details of the state’s allocation to health as well as details of the deaths is an important step.