Hanamkonda: Rats were found to have bitten a patient at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Hospital in Hanamkonda on Thursday, reportedly leaving the bed soaked in his blood.
The patient, P. Srinivas, 42, of Bheemaram village of Hasanparthy mandal, was suffering from respiratory and kidney-related complications. His family members had first admitted him in a private hospital and shifted him two days ago to the MGM Hospital in an unconscious condition.
MGM doctors admitted him in the respiratory intensive care unit (RICU). On Wednesday, Srikanth, the brother of Srinivas, said he saw rats biting the fingers and toes of the patient.
He immediately alerted the doctors. Resident Medical Officer Dr Murali visited the RICU and asked the staff to move Srinivas to another room. He assured the family that the hospital would try to control the rat menace.
However, the hospital staff, it was alleged tried to conceal the incident by preventing his relatives from meeting Srinivas.
Srikanth said that when he found his brother Srinivas bleeding again on Thursday morning, he approached the media. “I was shocked to see blood all over the bed. Rats had nibbled my brother’s fingers, arms and legs,” he alleged.
MGM Hospital superintendent Dr Srinivas Rao acknowledged that there was the problem of rodents entering the RICU and said remedial action would be taken.
Two years ago, rats were found nibbling dead bodies in the mortuary. Some of the patients alleged that rat-bite incidents had recurred in the hospital in the past but the authorities had not taken any action though patients' families had lodged complaints.
Upon coming to know of the incident, health minister T. Harish Rao issued orders for an immediate inquiry. Following this, district additional collector K. Sreevatsa inspected the hospital.
