HANAMKONDA: Patients and their attendants at the government maternity hospital are spending sleepless nights due to an increasing rodent menace. Allegedly, rodents have been consuming food stored by patients and their families.
On Tuesday, videos of rodents moving in the daycare ward went viral on social media raising concerns over safety of patients and hygiene.
Several new mothers and their attendants expressed agony over this menace, alleging that despite repeated complaints, no measures have been taken by the hospital staff.
M Lakshmi, an attendant, said: “Two days ago, my daughter gave birth at the hospital, and now we are spending sleepless nights as these rodents pose a high risk for the newborn baby and the mother. We have also found rodents on the patients’ bed. Despite our complaints, no action has been taken by the hospital staff to curb this problem.”
Resident Medical Officer (RMO) Dr A Ambareesh told TNIE: “There are no rodents inside the patients ward but they have been observed outside the wards. We are taking measures to control the menace by spraying pesticides and cleaning sewage pipelines once a week.”
This is not the first rodent-related incident in a hospital. In 2022, a patient P Srinivas (42), reportedly died from rodent bites at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) hospital in Warangal. Srinivas was admitted to the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit (RICU) when he was reportedly bitten by rodents while undergoing treatment. The hospital authorities then shifted him to NIMS, Hyderabad, for better treatment, but he died.
Hanamkonda District Collector P Pravinya told TNIE that an inquiry will be initiated and necessary measures will be taken at the hospital.