MADURAI: After hearing that a patient was allegedly bitten by a rat at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in July, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Tiruchy corporation commissioner and the dean of the hospital to immediately inspect the hospital premises and file a report to the court on the sanitation, security and basic facilities in the hospital.
A bench of justices CV Karthikeyan and R Sakthivel further directed the collector to examine the injuries suffered by the patient, R Tamilkodi (68), and take a decision regarding payment of compensation. The matter was adjourned to October 15. The directions were issued on a PIL filed by an advocate, S Jayashree of Tiruchy.
Jayashree stated that Tamilkodi underwent surgery for a leg fracture in the above hospital on July 20 and was shifted to the general ward for post-operative care. The following day, while she was resting, she was bitten by a rat on the big toe of her left leg.
Though her son had already complained to the hospital staff about the rat menace three days before, no action had been taken to prevent the incident, Jayashree alleged. Since Tamilkodi was aged and diabetic, her injury was more serious, she added, and requested the court to direct the government to pay compensation.
She further added that while visiting the hospital with other advocates after the incident, she found that the hospital also lacked hygiene and basic amenities.
The drainage water was overflowing and leaking in some areas, which could have led to the rodent infestation. The toilets were unhygienic, and most of them were devoid of proper doors, she claimed. Due to poor security arrangements, frequent theft of vehicles was also reported in the hospital, she said, and she wanted the court to direct the authorities to rectify the above issues.