NHRC Seeks Response from Madhya Pradesh Officials on Infant Deaths After Rat Bites in Indore Hospital

Quick Summary

• The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to Madhya Pradesh authorities after the death of two infants allegedly bitten by rats in Indore’s Maharaja Yeshwantrao (MY) Hospital.
• The incident occurred on August 30 and 31 in the hospital’s neonatal ICU, where two newborn girls were bitten by rats. They died on September 2 and 3, reportedly due to pneumonia and septicemia.
• The NHRC notice criticizes “gross medical negligence” and demands an investigation with an action-taken report within 10 days. It emphasized breaches of hygiene standards as serious human rights violations under Article 21 of the Constitution.
• Family members have accused the hospital administration of negligence, not informing them for five days about their child’s death, and refuted claims that they abandoned their child after admission.
• Parents staged a protest at the hospital with Congress and Jay Adivasi Yuva Shakti Sangathan workers; authorities announced ₹5 lakh financial aid for affected families.
• NHRC member priyank Kanoongo highlighted systemic issues in government hospitals, criticizing limited accountability regarding senior officials.
• Following public outrage,hospital staff faced disciplinary actions: suspension of nursing staff,replacement of nursing superintendent,and a ₹1 lakh fine imposed on a pest control company.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The tragic incident at MY Hospital underscores alarming deficiencies in public healthcare infrastructure within Madhya Pradesh. While disciplinary measures have been implemented against lower-tier staff and contractors responsible for cleaning services, concerns persist about systemic accountability that includes senior officials overseeing these facilities.

This case also brings attention to broader issues affecting government hospitals-hygiene lapses being one critical example-which raise questions about patient safety protocols nationwide. NHRC’s involvement signals rising concern over such incidents violating citizens’ constitutional rights under Article 21 but highlights that immediate reforms are necessary to restore confidence in public healthcare institutions.The financial compensation extended to grieving families acknowledges institutional failure but does not address deeper-rooted challenges such as resource management or oversight failures. If accountability does not extend further up organizational hierarchies-and corrective measures like sanitation improvements remain reactive-the risk persists for similar tragedies across India.

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