Mobs vandalised three public hospitals in the city on Monday after the deaths of two patients whose relatives alleged negligence on the part of the hospitals treating them.

Three deaths were reported in 24 hours in separate instances at city hospitals on Monday. Two of these led to mob violence.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has ordered an inquiry into the deaths of two patients at Rajawadi Hospital, Ghatkopar. The third death occurred at the state–run GT Hospital at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.

A mob of 40 persons damaged property at the BMC-run Shrimati Diwalibai Mohanlal Mehta Maa General Hospital, Chembur, and Rajawadi Hospital on Monday night after 16-year-old Aarti Khaire’s death. The Siddharth Nagar resident’s family took her to Maa Hospital at 8.30 pm on Monday as she had been vomiting and had loose motions and fever.

Her uncle Rajesh Sapkal said a nurse administered an injection as no doctor was around. “A doctor saw her and advised a transfer to Rajawadi only when blood and froth started oozing out of her mouth,” he said.

Khaire was declared dead before admission to Rajawadi. Her irate family broke the doors of the casualty ward and then headed to Maa hospital where they damaged property worth Rs
10,000. A guard said the staff locked themselves in a ward to avoid being assaulted.

Denying allegations of negligence, Dr Ajit Lake, chief medical officer of Maa Hospital, said Khaire was given appropriate treatment but was transferred to Rajawadi as she developed chest pain. Khaire’s body was taken to JJ Hospital for post-mortem on Tuesday afternoon. There, too, the family had to wait for a doctor for around four hours, alleged Sapkal.

Rajawadi was dogged by controversy again on Tuesday afternoon after the death of Savitri Tiwari (45), who suffered a head injury in a road accident. Her husband Baliram Tiwari alleged Savitri was lying unattended in the casualty ward for three hours. “She started gasping, lost consciousness and died,” Tiwari said.

A nurse, however, said that Savitri died because the juice an acquaintance gave her choked her trachea.

Around 15-20 of Tiwari’s friends and relatives gathered outside Rajawadi and demanded an inquiry. Dr Seema Mallik, chief superintendent of BMC’s suburban hospitals, said post-mortems would be conducted to ascertain the cause of Khaire and Tiwari’s deaths.

Another mob of 40 broke the glass panes on the door of Ward Number 7 at GT Hospital and threatened to assault the doctor after the death of Masjid Bunder resident, Narsana Husanapa, on Monday night. The 35-year-old was vomiting blood. “The patient was a chronic alcoholic and had multi-organ dysfunction,” said medical superintendent Dr AV Kulkarni.