India, Feb. 7 -- The Bombay high court on Wednesday directed the Maharashtra government to file an affidavit by February 20, disclosing the timeline of the recruitment of medical professionals in government hospitals. Expressing serious concern over the vacant posts of medical officers in state-run hospitals across Maharashtra, the court questioned the state's failure in filling up the vacancies, despite the passage of adequate time and allocation of substantial funds.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation suo moto, concerning the deaths of at least 38 patients, including 18 infants at the government hospital and medical college in Nanded and 26 in the state-run hospital and medical college in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, bet...