High Court Terms Deaths as “Gross Negligence”, Issues Notices; NHRC Seeks Action Taken Report
Indore: In the wake of the shocking rat bite controversy at Indore’s government-run Maharaja Yeshwantrao (MY) Hospital, where two newborns reportedly died after being bitten by rats inside the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the MGM Medical College authorities have removed the head of the pediatric surgery department, while the state government has suspended a doctor.
Dr Manoj Joshi was suspended on charges of dereliction of duty and negligence in the performance of his responsibilities, according to official orders. Meanwhile, Medical College dean Dr Arvind Ghanghoria dismissed Dr Brijesh Lahoti, HOD of Pediatric Surgery, and appointed Dr Ashok Kumar Ladda in his place, with no explicit reason given. Rumors suggest the action was linked to the rat bite incident.
Earlier, two nursing officers, a nursing superintendent, and other NICU staff were suspended, following public outrage and accusations that doctors were being made scapegoats for systemic failures. Critics condemned the government for targeting individual medical personnel instead of addressing the hospital’s poor infrastructure and hygiene standards.
Adding to the controversy, MY Hospital superintendent Dr Ashok Yadav, who previously claimed that the infants’ deaths were due to congenital deformities rather than rat bites, reportedly went on a 15-day leave, leaving the administration in the hands of other medical officers.
In a humanitarian gesture, the district administration provided Rs 5 lakh in compensation to one of the newborns’ families. Similar compensation had already been provided to the other bereaved family.
High Court Acts: ‘Gross Negligence’ and Suo Motu PIL
The Madhya Pradesh High Court took suo motu cognizance of the incident, calling it apparent “gross negligence” and issued notices to key state authorities, including the principal secretary of Public Health and Family Welfare, the dean of MGM Medical College, the Indore divisional commissioner, district collector, and city police commissioner. The court scheduled a hearing for September 15 and appointed senior advocate Piyush Mathur as amicus curiae to assist in the matter.
A division bench of Justices Vivek Rusia and Jai Kumar Pillai highlighted the urgency of the issue, noting that two infants admitted to the government hospital’s ICU were bitten by rats on the night of August 31 – September 1, and later died.
The court ordered the additional advocate general to submit replies and post-mortem reports.
NHRC Also Steps In
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Principal Secretary of the Public Health and Medical Education Department, Madhya Pradesh, and the Indore District Collector, seeking an action taken report within 10 days.
While hospital authorities maintain that the newborns died due to critical medical conditions (pneumonia and septicaemia) and that the rat bite caused only minor scratches, families and civil society groups continue to accuse the administration of gross negligence, demanding accountability and systemic reforms.
