MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court recently granted Rs 25,000 compensation to a 57-year-old woman who was bitten by a rat on the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) premises in 2014.
Though the government counsel raised suspicion on the veracity of the woman’s claims by citing that she had approached the authorities for treatment only a week after the incident, Justice CV Karthikeyan took note of newspaper reports on the incident, including that of TNIE’s, which were submitted by the woman. The judge pointed out that the then medical superintendent of the hospital had told TNIE that blockages in the drainage system had led to a rat menace in the hospital.
“It may not be proper on the part of this court to rely on newspaper reports, but in this case, I hold that it is justifiable on my part to hold that the fact that the petitioner had suffered rat bite cannot be brushed under the carpet and flagged as a false statement,” the judge said. If it was false, then the hospital authorities would have certainly given a rejoinder to the newspaper items, he added.
He also opined that the incident was an “unforeseen accident” and when such an accident occurs, then compensation is automatically payable. He therefore directed the State Health Secretary to grant Rs 25,000 compensation to the woman for the shock suffered by her due to the incident.
The woman, Muthulakshmi alias Rajam, filed the petition in 2014 alleging that when she stayed at the hospital on January 23, 2014, she was bitten by a rat. She said she developed pain and swelling, and filed the said petition.