RANCHI: Raising serious concern over the security arrangements at Shaheed Nirmal Mahto Medical College and Hospital (SNMMCH) in Dhanbad, a wild jackal unexpectedly entered the emergency building and made its way directly into the Surgical ICU early on Monday morning.
The incident came to light on Wednesday after a video of the animal entering the ICU went viral on social media.
According to eyewitnesses, the jackal walked in unhindered through the hospital’s main gate and crossed the emergency corridor without being noticed by security personnel. It then slipped under a bed inside the dark ICU and hid there, they said.
Most of the patients admitted at the time were asleep.
An outsourced employee of the hospital, who was heading towards the ward, spotted the jackal entering the emergency block and moving towards the Surgical ICU. He immediately alerted the nursing staff and asked them to turn on the lights.
After a brief period of chaos, the jackal fled using the same route and exited through the main gate.
The hospital management, however, said they are investigating the matter to confirm whether it was indeed a wild animal.
"We are investigating whether it was really a jackal or just a dog. Anything can be said only after proper investigation," said Hospital Manager Dr CS Suman.
Meanwhile, the incident has raised serious concerns about the medical college and hospital's security system, particularly how a wild animal managed to enter one of the most restricted areas undetected.
The 600-bed Shaheed Nirmal Mahto Medical College and Hospital has long faced security issues.
Bystanders of patients being treated at the hospital said that dogs and other animals frequently roam inside the premises.
"Entry of a wild animal into a sensitive area like the emergency room is a major security lapse," said one of the attendants, requesting anonymity. He also questioned the hospital management's nighttime security surveillance.
They added that the entrances to the hospital remain open at night, allowing outside animals to easily enter the premises.