Ants on body: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath ordered an inquiry on Wednesday
Highlights
- The dead man's wife was seen in images trying to remove the ants
- Chief Minister Kamal Nath called the incident a "shame for humanity"
- Jyotiraditya Scindia said the incident was "heartwrenching"
The sight of ants crawling over the eyes of a dead man at a government hospital has provoked outrage in Madhya Pradesh, after which Chief Minister Kamal Nath has ordered an inquiry. Five doctors, including a surgeon, have been suspended from the hospital in Shivpuri, around 290 km from state capital Bhopal.
The grisly image of ants on the open eyes of a body left at the Shivpuri district hospital for hours has been in wide circulation on social media since Tuesday.
"It is highly insensitive that the ants were crawling on the dead patient at a district hospital in Shivpuri. Such incidents are a shame for humanity and cannot be tolerated. I have ordered an inquiry and strict action will be taken against those found guilty," said the Chief Minister on Twitter.
50-year-old Balchandra Lodhi, a patient of Tuberculosis, was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday morning. He reportedly died after five hours. Other patients in the ward informed doctors but the staff allegedly left the body lying at the same place.
Congress leaders allege that doctors declared him dead without even touching him, and two nurses on duty did nothing to remove the ants.
The man's wife, Ramshri Lodhi, was seen trying to remove the ants in images on social media.
"The incident puts humanity to shame and is heartwrenching. I have spoken to the health minister, Tulsi Silawat, and asked that those guilty should be strongly punished so that such cases don't recur," said senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia.