Mumbai: Rats Bite Two Patients At Kandivali Civic Hospital

Two women admitted to Babasaheb Ambedkar Municipal General Hospital have been bitten by rats in the last one week. Families of the two patients are furious and have complained to the civic authorities about the lack of hygiene and a serious rodent infestation in hospital wards. One of the victims, Shantaben Jadhav is in her 70's and was admitted to the hospital on grounds of uncontrolled diabetes and a fractured foot. She was bitten by the rats on her foot. The second victim is Pramila Nerulkar, a 68 year old paralysis patient who was bitten by the rats on her left eye.

Ms. Nerulkar had been paralyzed on her left side. When she was bitten by the rat at around 5 a.m, she could hardly move to make or raise an alarm but somehow managed to make a noise that woke up her daughter-in-law. Doctors rushed to the ward, cleaned her wounds and prescribed medicines for the same.

The relatives of the two patients complained about the hospital staff's unwillingness to work, the lack of cleanliness and harassment by Class IV staff, who demand bribes every time a patient wants some help. One of the patient's relative had to pay Rs 50 to the female helper for a bed pan every time. Another one complained that he had to pay Rs100 to take the patient for a CT scan. The staff demands Rs 20 to change a patient's clothes.

BJP MLA Manisha Choudhary went over to the hospital to meet the two victims on Monday. She then wrote to the BMC Commissioner Ajoy about the situations at the hospital and further sought a response for the irregularities at the hospital.