Notice To Rajasthan Government Hospital Over Rats Chewing Patients' Feet

The NHRC on Tuesday issued a notice to the Rajasthan government over rats allegedly found gnawing the feet of patients in a government-run hospital in Jodhpur.

Reportedly, the number of rats has increased so much that in ward C of its psychiatry department, they have bitten four patients, the National Human Rights Commission said in a statement.

The NHRC has taken "suo motu cognisance of a media report that rats are gnawing on the feet of patients in government-run Mathura Das Mathur Hospital (MDMH) in Jodhpur", it said.

The commission has observed that the content of the media report, if true, indicates the violation of the right to health and medical care of the patients which is a matter of concern for it.

Accordingly, it has issued notice to the chief secretary, the government of Rajasthan, seeking a detailed report in four weeks, including steps being taken or proposed to be taken to address the grievance of the patients at the MDMH, Jodhpur, the statement said.

A notice also be issued to the superintendent of the hospital to submit a report with regard to the "failure of the public servant", who has allowed this kind of "remiss to happen", within four weeks, the rights panel said.

According to the media report on July 3, the hospital administration has given a contract to an agency for Rs 27,000 per month to control pests and rats, but the "rat menace continues unabated", it added. Following repeated complaints of rats gnawing feet of patients in the psychiatry department of the hospital, the administration on Monday set up an inquiry committee to look into the matter.

The family members of at least four mentally-ill patients complained about similar incidents in the past week, prompting the hospital administration to intervene.

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