Mumbai: The Malvani toxic liquor tragedy in Mumbai claimed 102 lives. But of the 140 who had been rushed to hospitals after consuming the toxic alcohol, many more lives could have been saved, according to doctors and victims' families, who say a lack of resources and the juggling of the victims between different hospitals made the situation worse.
32-year-old Dashrath Kale was among those who had consumed the toxic liquor. He told NDTV that he had to wait hours to receive treatment. "First I went to Jankalyan. It is a big hospital in our area. They didn't do anything there and asked us to go to Shatabdi. Then we waited for an hour and a half at Shatabdi but nothing happened there so we were brought to Sion Hospital," he said.
Hospital records say Mr Kale had consumed alcohol at 7 am on June 18. He reached Sion Hospital at 2:41 am on June 19th, 20 hours after he drank the toxic liquor.
Others who were lucky enough to survive too recount similar tales. But the delay would prove fatal for some.
"All were quiet bad, but luckily we could salvage two of them. One was really, really bad, and he had come very late," said Dr Suleman Merchant, dean of the Sion Hospital.
To make matters worse, the dialysis centre at the Shatabdi, where a majority of the victims were taken first, had shut at 7 pm. This meant that a number of them had to rush to other hospitals. Out of the nearly 140 victims rushed to the Shatabdi Hospital, 61 died. About 60 others were transferred to other hospitals.
"If they were brought to us early or taken to any of the tertiary health care centres where dialysis is provided, lives could have been saved," Yojana Gokhale, professor of medicine at Sion Hospital, told NDTV.
Doctors say dialysis is required to flush out toxic methanol from the body and a patient must receive the treatment within the first few hours.
32-year-old Dashrath Kale was among those who had consumed the toxic liquor. He told NDTV that he had to wait hours to receive treatment. "First I went to Jankalyan. It is a big hospital in our area. They didn't do anything there and asked us to go to Shatabdi. Then we waited for an hour and a half at Shatabdi but nothing happened there so we were brought to Sion Hospital," he said.
Others who were lucky enough to survive too recount similar tales. But the delay would prove fatal for some.
Advertisement
To make matters worse, the dialysis centre at the Shatabdi, where a majority of the victims were taken first, had shut at 7 pm. This meant that a number of them had to rush to other hospitals. Out of the nearly 140 victims rushed to the Shatabdi Hospital, 61 died. About 60 others were transferred to other hospitals.
Advertisement
Doctors say dialysis is required to flush out toxic methanol from the body and a patient must receive the treatment within the first few hours.
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Mumbai Doctor Arrested For Car Accident Inside Sion Hospital 4 Accused Convicted, 10 Acquitted In Mumbai Toxic Liquor Tragedy Mumbai Hospital Mix-Up - Family Handed Wrong Body, Last Rites Performed Tear Gas Fired After Kolkata Protest Against Doctor's Rape-Murder Turns Violent 150 mg Semen In Kolkata Doctor's Body, Suspect Gang-Rape: Parents To Court 2 French Rafale Jets Collide Mid-Air, Instructor, Pilot Missing Is Great Britain Still Great? Nation Grapples With Deepening Poverty Crisis Bangladeshi Students On Alert, To Remain On Streets To Resist Chaos India's 78th Independence Day: A Tribute By Google Doodle Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.