One of the two infants who were bitten by rats at Indore’s prestigious Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Hospital died on Tuesday, hospital authorities said, though they maintained the rat bite was not the cause of death.
The hospital administration has suspended two members of the nursing staff and issued show-cause notices to several officials. The pest control agency responsible for rodent management has been fined Rs 1 lakh.
The two newborns had been admitted to the neonatal ICU with congenital anomalies (health complications existing since birth). After the rats bit their fingers, they were moved to another facility.
Dean of the Medical College, Dr Arvind Ghanghoria, confirmed the disciplinary measures and said the hospital could not afford such lapses. “On Monday, during the rounds, both babies were doing fine. By Tuesday morning, one of the infants had passed away, while the other was critical. This was a serious lapse, and we acted on it immediately,” he told reporters.
According to Dr Ghanghoria, the baby girl who died weighed 1.2 kg, while the surviving newborn weighed 1.6 kg. He said that the family of the deceased had left the baby at the hospital, and the medical staff had been caring for the newborn.
Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Ashok Yadav said the rat bite was not the cause of death. “The three-day-old girl died after she was admitted with severe congenital heart disease. Her parents abandoned her, and we have informed the police. The other infant is stable.”
Hospital authorities have suspended two nursing officers and removed a nursing superintendent. Show cause notices were issued to the nursing officer in charge and the pediatric surgery head.
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A high-level inquiry committee has also been set up to probe the incident. The dean assured strict action against all those found responsible. “We have constituted a committee to investigate. Once the report comes, the guilty will face the harshest possible action,” he said.
The hospital has meanwhile launched a pest control drive. “We have fined the agency responsible for rodent control and warned that their contract may be terminated. Directions have been given to carry out pest control across the entire hospital premises,” Ghanghoria said.
