Nizambad: A comatose patient in the intensive care unit (ICU) at the Kamareddy government hospital was bitten by rats his ears, arms and legs on Saturday night. Sheik Mujeebuddin of Housing Board Colony in Kamareddy was admitted last week for high blood pressure and clots in the brain.
Reacting quickly, health minister C. Damodar Rajanarasimha ordered an inquiry and the government placed under suspension the duty doctor and a staff nurse and suspended another official.
Mujeebuddin’s family members said they alerted the hospital staff immediately on noticing the rats. Hospital staff gave first aid and initiated treatment for rat bites. Reports said a few in-patients left the hospital fearing for their safety.
The hospital staff said they set up cages and sticky pads to catch the rats.
Speaking to the media, which gathered there on learning of the incident, patients and their attendants said the hospital was badly rat-infested. Three rat bite incidents were reported at the hospital earlier, they claimed.
“Rats can be seen in the ICU and other wards but the officials did not bother,” they alleged.
TS Vaidya Vidhana Parishad commissioner Dr Ajay Kumar visited the hospital on Sunday, inquired about the incident and spoke to Mujeebuddin’s family. Doctors told the commissioner that the condition of the victim, who was in coma, was stable.
Health minister Rajanarasimha who ordered an inquiry promised "no tolerance" for any lapse in healthcare, especially for the vulnerable.
Initial findings pointed to two factors that attracted rats: The ongoing renovation at the dialysis unit and food discarded by attendants.
District collector Jitesh V. Patil submitted a report to the government over incident. The duty medical officer and staff nurse were placed under suspension by the director of medical education Dr Triveni based on the report. The services of Kamareddy district coordinator of health services S. Vijayalakshmi were surrendered to the government.
