Ants on corpse’s eyes, five hospital staff suspended in Madhya Pradesh

Video of TB patient lying dead in ward for hours as insects crawled over him went viral.
For representational purpose (Express Illustration | Amit Bandre)
For representational purpose (Express Illustration | Amit Bandre)

BHOPAL: Five staff members of the Shivpuri District Hospital in Madhya Pradesh, including the civil surgeon, a doctor and three nurses were suspended after images showing ants crawling over the eyes of a dead man went viral. 

According to Shivpuri district collector Anugraha P, after the preliminary probe into the matter, the Gwalior Divisional Commissioner has suspended the civil surgeon (who heads the district hospital), the on duty doctor and three nurses in the matter. Detailed probe, however, will continue into the matter.

On Tuesday morning, a 50-year-old Tuberculosis patient Balchandra Lodhi was admitted at the hospital. He reportedly died after five hours. Other patients in the ward informed the doctors about the development, but the on duty doctor and nurses did nothing to shift the body to the mortuary. With no one to attend the body, the deceased’s widow Ramshri Lodhi was seen trying to remove the ants which crawled over her husband’s eyes. The images of the shocker subsequently went viral over social media.

Ruling Congress leaders alleged on Wednesday that doctors declared the patient dead without even touching him and left the body lying at the same place for hours.

As the shocker came to Chief Minister Kamal Nath’s knowledge, he tweeted on Wednesday, “It is highly insensitive that the ants were crawling on the dead patient at a district hospital in Shivpuri. Such incidents are a shame for humanity and cannot be tolerated. I have ordered an inquiry and strict action will be taken against those found guilty.”

“The incident puts humanity to shame and is heart-wrenching. I have spoken to the health minister and asked that those guilty should be strongly punished,” said senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia.

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