The Bombay High Court has constituted a five-member expert committee to recommend both short-term and long-term measures following the recent deaths in two government hospitals in Maharashtra.

The committee will investigate the factors that led to these fatalities and propose strategies to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The initiative comes in response to the deaths of over 31 patients, including infants, at Government Medical College in Nanded and 14 fatalities at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Government Hospital in October 2023. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice MS Karnik appointed the expert panel, which includes key officials such as the Secretary of Medical and Health Sciences, the Director of Health Sciences, and the Deans of JJ Medical College, Nanded Medical College, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Medical College.

The committee has been directed to conduct on-site inspections of both hospitals, evaluating the existing infrastructure and medical facilities. It is required to submit a comprehensive report to the court within two months, by June 16.

The court took up the matter as a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) after concerns were raised regarding the high number of deaths in government hospitals. Reports attributed the fatalities to a shortage of essential medical equipment, such as ventilators, and an inadequate number of healthcare staff.

Initially, the government assured the court that there was no gross negligence but acknowledged that the hospitals were overwhelmed due to a surge in critically ill patients, many of whom were referred from private hospitals and smaller clinics. However, in subsequent hearings, Amicus Curiae Mohit Khanna highlighted the state’s failure to effectively utilize allocated healthcare budgets and pointed out significant vacancies in medical and nursing staff.

Recognizing the challenges of an immediate overhaul of the state’s healthcare system, the court stressed the need for pragmatic solutions. “It is necessary to take small steps before giant leaps,” the bench observed, underscoring the urgency of implementing corrective measures.

Accordingly, the expert committee has been entrusted with identifying both immediate and structural reforms to enhance healthcare delivery and prevent such tragedies in the future.