Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Friday called out the Delhi government for its alleged lack of action regarding the recent deaths at the Asha Kiran shelter home, a mental health facility run by the Delhi government. The inmates allegedly died due to “health issues and malnutrition”.

Maliwal said, “In the past 20 days 13 deaths have occurred at Asha Kiran shelter home run by the Delhi government…The reasons are yet not known…When I was there in DCW, I inspected the situation here…the situation here is very bad as there is no proper staffing, and no proper doctors are there”

Maliwal also alleged that they had filed a report earlier which was submitted to the Delhi government but there was no action. She said,”We made a report at that time and submitted it to the Delhi Government, but no action was taken at that time,” demanding that the issue be taken up and an FIR to be lodged. She said she would bring up this issue in the Parliament as well.

On Friday, the Delhi government ordered a magisterial inquiry into the recent deaths at the mental health facility. Delhi minister Atishi directed the additional chief secretary to file a report regarding the matter within 48 hours.

According to a TOI report, 12 patients including 10 women died in the second half of July with more than 45 inmates, an unusually high number sent for outside treatments. However, only one body among the 12 was received for an autopsy. All the deceased patients exhibited similar symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting and the bodies of the inmates were usually sent to Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital which is 2 km away from the facility, where they also treated the ill inmates.

Earlier on Friday, National Commission for Women chairperson Rekha Sharma slammed the Delhi government, saying, “Asha Kiran has 450 people staying without proper food, water and medication. Atishi should be made responsible for contaminated water they are been provided”

Sharma questioned the Delhi government demanding accountability.“Young lives are lost because of sheer negligence of the Delhi government. Who is responsible for these deaths?,” she asked.

Set up in 1989 with a capacity to accommodate 350 people in the Rohini area of North Delhi, Asha Kiran is run by the Delhi government’s Social Welfare department without a head following the resignation of Raaj Kumar Anand.

(with inputs from news agencies)