The death toll due to the consumption of spurious liquor in Gujarat’s Botad district in ‘hooch tragedy’ has reached 40 with seven more people succumbing in the last 12 hours, a police official said on Wednesday.
However, within the last 24 hours, 13 to 14 patients who had consumed illegal alcohol have left the hospital without completing their medical care. The Bhavnagar district government hospital has Sought help from the Botad police in locating and moving them.
According to Dr. Jayesh Brahmbhatt, Superintendent of the Bhavnagar District Government Hospital, “13 to 14 patients have fled from the hospital since Tuesday afternoon until Wednesday morning.”
The hospital administration has given the police a list of the patients and asked them to return them so that their treatment can be completed.”
Brahmbhatt said, “The patients must have felt that they have recovered and do not need further treatment, so instead of waiting for the official discharge, they have left the hospital.”
“This is not possible without hospital staff or security personnel’s involvement,” alleged Congress spokesperson Manhar Patel. According to his information, “the government hospital has 24 X 7 private security personnel at all important entry and exit gates.
This agency is hired by the hospital’s Rogi Kalyan Samiti.” He demanded that instead of just bringing back the patients, the Bhavnagar police should also investigate whether anyone from the hospital was involved in helping the patients to flee.
According to Patel, 88 patients were receiving treatment for the side effects of illicit alcohol, 14 of whom had died by the morning and seven were in critical condition. All of these patients were brought to the hospital from the Botad district’s Barwala Taluka for treatment.