Thane: Govt-run hospital in Shahapur sees rush of patients due to spike in viral fever cases

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The OPD at Shahapur sub-district hospital in Maharashtra's Thane has been treating around 800 patients on a daily basis over the past few days due to a spike in viral fever cases and other diseases, a health official told news agency PTI on Friday.

Talking to reporters, Dr Rahul Jadhav, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, said the number of viral fever and conjunctivitis cases in Shahapur taluka has seen a sharp rise in the last few days, but the situation was under control, reported PTI.

"The outpatient department (OPD) at the hospital has been treating 700 to 800 patients on a daily basis. Most of these patients are seeking treatment for viral fever," he said.

Besides fever, conjunctivitis cases are also on the rise and in the last one week, 100 such cases were reported in Shahapur taluka, he added.

Appealing to local residents to take precautionary measures for protection against rain-related diseases, including dengue and malaria, Jadhav said medical teams were taking necessary measures to tackle the situation, reported PTI.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Thursday sought a 'white paper' on the condition of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Thane's Kalwa, which hit the headlines after 18 persons died in a 24-hour period on Saturday and Sunday.

Wadettiwar, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, was speaking to reporters after visiting the sprawling facility and holding discussions with Thane Municipal Corporation additional commissioner (health services) Sandeep Malvi, medical superintendent Dr Aniruddha Malgaonkar and dean Dr Rakesh Barot.

Blaming the civic body for the deaths, Wadettiwar said the kin of the deceased must be given Rs 10 lakh each as compensation.

More than 50 per cent of the permanent posts at the hospital are vacant, including that of cardiologist, neurosurgeon and oncologist, and critical patients are sometimes not visited by specialists even after 48 hours of admission, he alleged.

Due to reasons best known to it, the TMC had refused to hand over the hospital to the Maharashtra government when such a request was made during the time Prithviraj Chavan was chief minister, Wadettiwar said.

He slammed the Eknath Shinde government and questioned how it planned to recruit doctors for hospitals in remote areas of the state in Vidarbha, Gadchiroli or Konkan when it is not able to do so at a facility in Thane near Mumbai.

"The situation is similar in primary health centres and rural hospitals in other parts of the state. The TMC spends thousands of crores in beautification and cleanliness but cannot spend Rs 500 crore to improve health infrastructure," he claimed.

Wadettiwar said his party would launch an agitation on the issues plaguing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa.

(With inputs from PTI)