Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], September 2 : Two infants undergoing treatment at MY Hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district were bitten by rats, resulting in a newborn dead while another is critical and lying on a ventilator, an official said on Tuesday.
The incident was reported in the early hours of Monday (Sep 1), at around 3 am. Both infants were very weak, suffering from serious infections and were admitted to the pediatric surgery ward of the hospital. Among them, one was bitten on the hand and another on the shoulder.
After the incident came to light, two nurses who were on duty at the time of the incident have been suspended, and a high-level committee has been constituted to probe the matter.
MY Hospital Dean, Dr Arvind Ghanghoria, told ANI, "Two children admitted here at MY hospital were bitten by the rat; one in the hand and the other on the shoulder. Both the infants were critical and suffering from infections. Both the children were very weak, one was operated, who has issues with its intestine and currently the child is critical, on a ventilator. While another was to be operated on as they had a severe infection. This child was also suffering from pneumonia, the rat had bitten its hand and that newborn died this morning. These children were born around a week ago."
He further claimed that there were no rats in the hospital for the last 2 years, and recently a pipe was broken from which the rats came in the last 3-4 days, adding that pest control experts say that due to the rainfall and waterlogging in recent times, the rats came.
"It was our duty to inform the pest control team and nursing superintendent about the rats but the staff on duty did not inform anyone in the last 3-4 days. Therefore, a show-cause notice has been served to the ICU nursing in charge and two nurses on the duty have been suspended. Also, the nursing superintendent has been removed," the dean said.
Additionally, the company responsible for pest control in the hospital has been served a penalty of Rs 1 lakh and warned that it will be terminated from the MoU and blacklisted. Along with this, a letter has been written to MY hospital superintendent to improve the arrangement here so that no such issue occurs again and give feedback on the incident, he added.
Furthermore, a high-power committee has been constituted to investigate the whole matter and to submit its report within 7 days, Dean Ghanghoria added.