Bombay HC takes note of ‘makeshift’ arrangement to treat food poisoning patients in Buldhana, seeks Maharashtra govt affidavit
safefoodmitra.com · 2024-02-24 11:54:51
The Bombay High Court on Friday took note of the recent incident in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district where over 200 people, including children and women, who fell sick due to food poisoning had to be treated on the streets outside hospital due to shortage of beds.
The court sought an affidavit from the government regarding the situation of administering saline solution from bottles hung on ropes to the patients who feel sick after consuming prasad at a religious event earlier this week.
Amicus curiae advocate Mohit Khanna mentioned the issue before a division bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Arif S Doctor, which was hearing suo motu PIL it had initiated on the deaths of patients at government hospitals in the Nanded and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar districts of Maharashtra last year.
Kakade said the hospitals had all required medicines but could not treat the patients inside due to shortage of beds. However, it was not a serious ailment and was more of a stomach ailment and all patients were discharged by next morning, he told the court.
“How far is the district hospital from where the occurrence took place? Could you not take them there? You said it was not serious. What if there was a situation where patients were suffering serious ailments?” the bench questioned.
“The district hospital is 100 kilometres away. We could have transported them to a larger hospital. Even in the recent incident, everyone got discharged the next morning,” Kakade responded.