An appalling case of medical negligence has emerged from Indore’s Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital (MYH), where two newborns were bitten by rats inside the Neonatal ICU. One of the infants, a baby girl already battling pneumonia and congenital disorders, died on Tuesday. The incident has raised serious concerns about hygiene, hospital safety, and administrative oversight at one of Madhya Pradesh’s largest government healthcare institutions.
Government Admits Pest Control Failure
Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla confirmed that pest management procedures had not been implemented at the hospital as required. “The pest control and cleanliness drive was not done regularly, which is why M. Y. Hospital has become a shelter for the rodents,” Shukla told the press. He added, “The government has initiated action and suspended two staff members. Further action would be taken once the detailed investigation report is available.” Shukla has instructed the Health and Family Welfare Department to submit a full report within a week.
Two Infants Bitten; One Succumbs
The horrifying discovery was made during the night of August 30–31 when hospital staff noticed injuries on two babies in the NICU. One suffered bites to the hand; the other had injuries on her shoulder. CCTV footage later confirmed rodents roaming near the newborns’ beds. Doctors said the baby girl who passed away was extremely fragile, with underdeveloped organs and low hemoglobin, and was on life support. While her death was officially attributed to pneumonia and congenital conditions, the rodent attack is believed to have worsened her condition significantly.
Hospital Management Faces the Heat
Dr. Arvind Ghanghoria, Dean of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, which oversees MY Hospital, acknowledged that protocol failures played a role in the incident. “There was a case of two children who were bitten by rats in the Pediatric Surgical Ward. One of them was already in a critical condition with multiple complications. However, the rat bite raises serious questions about hospital safety protocols,” he said.
He further revealed that though rats had been spotted in the ward 4–5 days prior, nursing staff failed to report the issue, which could have prevented the incident. “The failure of nursing staff to report rodent sightings in time could have prevented this tragedy,” he added.