MP HC takes cognizance of rat bite death of 2 infants

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the recent death of two newborns due to rat bites inside the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital (MYH) of Indore, one of the biggest government hospitals of MP.

Following the court’s strict stance, a high-level inquiry committee submitted its report and on that basis the state government has ordered immediate suspension of Dr Manoj Joshi, HOD of paediatric surgery department of MYH, as the report found him guilty of negligence and irresponsibility in the case.

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Dr Joshi’s suspension order was issued from the office of the Commissioner of Health and Medical Education Department today.

The probe committee report stated that Dr Joshi failed to inform higher authorities or handle the situation properly by taking immediate measures despite being aware of the incident. His negligence contributed to the worsening condition of the infants, and their deaths.

On the basis of the report, MYH paediatric department senior surgeon Dr Brajesh Lahoti has also been removed from his post.

Besides, the MYH Superintendent Dr Ashok Yadav has been sent on leave. Dr Basant Ningwal has been given the charge of Superintendent.

Health and Medical Education Department Principal Secretary Sandeep Yadav has ordered the termination of the contract of the hospital’s pest control and security provider private agency, named Agile.

The two new-born baby girls, belonging to mothers Rehana and Manju, were just a few days old and were admitted to the NICU of MYH.

Big rats inside the NICU had bitten the babies on 30 and 31 August.

The first baby died on 2 September, while the second succumbed on 3 September.

In the initial action over the shocking incident, the state government had issued a show-cause notice on 2 September to the Dean of Indore’s Mahatma Gandhi Medical (MGM) College, to which the MYH is affiliated.

The notice to MGM Medical College Dean Dr Arvind Ghangoria stated that the incident points to gross negligence and irresponsibility by the hospital administration and medical staff.

Besides, two nurses of the NICU were suspended, the Nursing Superintendent of the hospital was removed from her post, and show-cause notices were also issued to other staff members.

MGM Dean Dr Arvind Ghangoria had also imposed a fine of Rs one lakh on the hospital’s pest control agency, Agile Company. He also issued a warning to the company that its contract would be cancelled

The Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission has also taken cognizance of the matter.

It has served a notice to the Hospital Superintendent. The MPHRC has directed the hospital authorities to submit a report within a month.