Mumbai, Aug 14 (IANS): With reports of another four patients dying in the past 24 hours, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced a time-bound probe into the unusually high death toll at the civic-run Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharashtra Hospital in Thane. 

Officials declined to comment on the latest four fatalities – coming a day after 18 patients died on Saturday-Sunday night - at the Thane Municipal Corporation's 500-bed hospital located in the CM's hometown.

As a major political row erupted over the large number of deaths, Shinde ordered the setting up a 9-member committee of medical experts and to investigate the probable causes and submit its report by August 25.

Locals claimed that another 4 patients have succumbed since Sunday night at the hospital, taking the toll to 27, after the first six deaths were reported on August 9.

Top Opposition leaders including Congress state President Nana Patole, Leader of Opposition (Assembly) Vijay Wadettiwar, Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule, MP, state President Jayant Patil, General Secretary Dr. Jitendra Awhad, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, Leader of Opposition (Council) Ambadas Danve and others attacked the state government for various lapses leading to the multiple fatalities.

Among the reasons cited by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) authorities are a sudden surge in the number of patients from far-flung areas, including neighbouring district of Palghar, lower intake capacity owing to shifting of some wards, and some patients admitted who were already critical, were rushed here from other hospitals.

Not convinced, the Opposition has slammed the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party-NCP government alleging lapses on various counts, insufficient resources, lack of adequate medical, nursing and para-medical staff at the CSMH and an inept administration as responsible for the tragedy.

An agitated Sharad Pawar demanded to know what the government was doing while Danve said the CM is responsible for the multiple deaths of innocent patients in the past few days.