BHOPAL: Rodents have exposed the state of affairs at the Maharaja Yeshwant Rao (MY) Hospital in Indore – Madhya Pradesh’s largest government hospital, which is also counted among one of the largest public sector hospitals of central India.
Two newborns were bitten by rats at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the premier government hospital in successive days – Sunday and Monday.
NICU is a specialized unit, which provides intensive care for premature, critically ill or low-birth-weight newborns. Such newborns often require advanced medical equipment, round-the-clock monitoring by skilled doctors and nurses and specialized treatments to help with breathing, feeding and other health complications, as they recover and grow stronger.
As per informed sources at the hospital, the two newborns were shifted to the NICU within two-three days of birth. While the first incident was spotted on Sunday, the second incident of rodents having bitten the fingers in the hand of the newborn was noticed on Monday, prompting the doctors to start the necessary treatment of the two newborns already being treated for congenital anomalies (health complications existing since birth).
While admitting to both the incidents, the hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Ashok Yadav, who was in Bhopal for official reasons on Monday, said that both the newborns were safe and recovering well.
“Both the newborns were admitted at the neonatal ICU for congenital anomalies (health complications existing since birth). They’ve been shifted to another facility under continuous supervision and care. We’ll soon carry out an extensive pest control drive in the entire hospital,” hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Ashok Yadav told TNIE over phone.
Importantly, the last pest control drive was reportedly carried out at the hospital five years back.
According to hospital sources, bringing food to the hospital (even outside the intensive care units) often compounds to the menace of rodents.
The incident sparked political outrage with the principal opposition party, Congress, targeting the government over the issue. “The incidents have exposed the alarming state of public healthcare under the BJP government. It is a serious issue and a matter of concern. Even kids are not safe in the MP’s largest state government hospital,” state Congress spokesperson Dr Amit Chaurasia said.
As per sources, while parents of the two newborns weren’t informed about the incidents to prevent panic, both the newborns are under constant observation of doctors and nursing staff.
Sources added that a big rodent has been spotted often at the NICU (located on the first floor) and also been captured in a video.
Menace of rodents isn’t new to state government hospitals in MP, but it has largely been confined to dead bodies, instead of living patients.
Back in June 2023, the ear of the body of a 50-year-old man was found nibbled inside the deep freezer of the mortuary at the state government’s Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal.
Prior to it in May 2023, the nose and hand of a 70-year-old man’s body (he died in an accident) was found nibbled by rats inside the mortuary of the Vidisha District Hospital.
Also, back in January 2023, an eye of the two dead men, whose bodies were kept in the deep freezer of the mortuary at Sagar District Hospital, were reportedly found nibbled by rats.