Maharashtra: After 42 deaths go unreported, Solapur hospitals to get notices

KOLHAPUR: After Mumbai, it’s Solapur turn to come out with data about deaths of Covid-19 patients that were not reported earlier. The civic administration has now reported 42 deaths that occurred at the government hospital and six private ones in May and June, taking the toll to 218.
Solapur municipal commissioner P Shivshankar said show-cause notices would be issued to the hospitals which did not upload the information on the government website as is mandatory. A civic official, who failed to coordinate between the private hospitals regarding the data, will also be served a showcause notice, he said.
Shivshankar’s admission late on Monday night has sparked a huge controversy with the BJP demanding a thorough inquiry into the administrative negligence. The first positive case in Solapur was reported on April 12, but a sudden spike commenced since May-end. The southern Maharashtra city now has 1,945 positive cases. The death rate in the city has gone up to 11%.
Solapur hospitals to get notices
Solapur civic administration stumbled upon the information while re-examining data following an order from the state government to update all information on Covid-19 deaths.
Shivshankar said, “The government and private hospitals did not enter necessary information about Covid-19 deaths. All these hospitals will be served showcause notices.”
He said 11 of the 42 patients had died at the government hospital.
Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had alleged a few days ago that the Mumbai administration was hiding the number of novel coronavirus patients and deaths.
The revelation in Solapur is likely to be raised by Devendra Fadnavis, who will be in the city on Wednesday.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to announce its next course of action.
Solapur BJP president Vikram Deshmukh demanded a thorough probe into the revelation.
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation would be meeting the district collector in this connection soon.