As unprecedented rains continue to wreak havoc in Maharashtra, eight Covid-19 patients have died in a private hospital named Aparant Hospital, in the flood-hit Khed tehsil of Ratnagiri district. The patients reportedly died because of the disruption in the oxygen supply as a result of the disconnection of electricity due to the floods. An inquiry has been launched into the deaths of these patients by the local authorities of Ratnagiri district.
While a report by Hindustan Times suggests that amongst these 8 patients, two were on ventilator support and the rest were on oxygen supply, DNA has reported that 4 out of the 8 were on ventilators and the rest died of trauma.
Speaking on the unfortunate incident, Dr Sanghamitra Phule, the district civil surgeon said: “The hospital had been submerged in water since Thursday. The water level increased after 7 am on Friday. It resulted in the disconnection of electricity. After we got the call last night, the rescue team was deployed for the evacuation of patients, but they could not reach the spot because of waterlogging. Relatives of one of the patients claimed their patient was not positive for Covid-19.”
Meanwhile, the resident deputy collector, Datta Bhadakwad, was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying that there is no shortage of oxygen in the hospital, but the oxygen could not be supplied to these deceased Covid-19 patients due to power outage. “The administration even tried to supply oxygen temporarily, but failed because of the downpour”, said Bhadakwad.
The hospital had been housing 22 patients. After the incident, the rest were shifted to some other hospital. Konkan Divisional Commissioner V B Patil said they had not received any distress call from the hospital.
Resurgence of Covid-19 in Maharashtra was most worrisome
It is pertinent to note here that when the second wave of Covid-19 hit India, the resurgence of the infection in the state of Maharashtra was most fierce and worrisome. With the sudden and steep surge in the number of cases, the medical infrastructure in the state seemed to have collapsed. Many incidents that have been reported in the recent past proves that though it’s been more than a year since the country has been grappling with the COVID-19 outbreak, Maharashtra’s healthcare system is still not equipped to handle the scourge of the virus.
Unprecedented rains cause havoc in the state, PM Modi assures all possible help
Meanwhile, Maharashtra, over the last 24 hours, has received the heaviest spell of rains in July in the last 40-years. Several teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, too, have been deployed for rescue operations in the Konkan region. While Ratnagiri, Raigad, Kolhapur districts are flooded, Sangli and Amravati are facing a flood-like situation.
More than 45 people were killed and around 13 injured in three separate incidents in Raigad district alone, with around 40 still missing due to the landslide caused by the incessant rains over the last 24 hours.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued a red alert for six districts of Maharashtra which have been already pounded by heavy rains, forecasting extremely heavy rainfall and recommending preventive actions.
The alert was issued for the next 24 hours for the districts of Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg in coastal Konkan and also for Pune, Satara and Kolhapur in Western Maharashtra.
PM Modi has assured that the Centre would provide all sorts of assistance to the state to mitigate the situation. “Spoke to Maharashtra CM Shri Uddhav Thackeray and discussed the situation in parts of Maharashtra in the wake of heavy rainfall and flooding. Assured all possible support from the Centre to mitigate the situation. Praying for everyone’s safety and well-being,” PM Modi tweeted.
