Coronavirus: Rain floods ground floor of COVID-19 hospital in Maharashtra's Jalgaon
Former Jalgaon district guardian minister Girish Mahajan of the BJP described the situation as "horrible".
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Mumbai: Heavy pre-monsoon showers in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district led to flooding of the ground floor of a COVID-19 hospital, forcing its staff to shift patients to upper floors at midnight, an official said on Sunday.
The city in north Maharashtra started receiving downpour on Saturday late night which continued for at least two hours, said an official of the Godavari Medical College where COVID-19 patients were being treated.
The patients were on the ground floor as many of them and their relatives are above 50 years old, he said.
"There were around 12 patients on the ground floor. The same floor also has an emergency ward for accident patients. The late-night showers caused flooding in the ground floor and within a few hours, we were standing in knee deep water," recalled the official.
He said patients were shifted to upper floors while some machinery and equipment was left on the ground floor.
Former Jalgaon district guardian minister Girish Mahajan of the BJP described the situation as "horrible".
"Bureaucracy is clueless. There is no planning, no proper person to lead from the front, and above all the state government has little concern towards such issues," he said.
The official blamed construction of a highway near the hospital for the flooding.
"Since the height of the road is elevated, it created a slope towards the hospital," he claimed.
District guardian minister Gulabrao Patil also concurred with the view of the official.
"The ongoing four-laning work of the highway has led to water rushing towards the hospital. I have instructed officials to complete the work at the earliest so that a similar situation does not arise again," he said.Â
