In a disturbing incident that has sparked public and political outrage, a patient at the Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) in Patna, Bihar, claimed that he was bitten by rats while sleeping in a hospital ward.
Awadhesh Kumar, a particularly disabled middle-aged patient, woke up on the morning of May 18 and saw blood on his toes.
“I was shocked to see blood on my foot. Rats have created havoc in the ward,” he told reporters from his hospital bed.
Hospital authorities' response: An investigation is underway
Dr. Om Prakash, who heads the orthopaedic department at NMCH, confirmed that the incident has been brought to the notice of the medical superintendent. He said the matter is being looked into seriously, assuring that appropriate action will be taken.
“Action will be taken against those responsible,” a senior state health department official added on condition of anonymity.
Political leaders demand accountability.
The incident quickly turned into a political flashpoint. Opposition leader and senior Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav slammed the ruling government for its repeated failure in public health care.
"Rats bit a patient in the NMCH again. What else can one expect in a hospital where even dead bodies aren’t safe?”. Yadav wrote on social media, referring to a previous incident in which a rat bites the eye of a dead patient at the same facility.
Rat or red flag? Critics point to deeper issues.
This latest incident has again revived concerns about the overall hygiene and infrastructure in state-run facilities, but this isn't the first time such incidents of rats in government hospitals in Bihar have been seen: In 2022, a patient in Bihar’s Darbhanga Medical College Hospital lost a toe after a rat bite while admitted in the ICU.
Public health advocates argue that blaming rats masks deeper systemic problems, ranging from inadequate sanitation to poor facility management and chronic understaffing.
Rats in hospitals aren’t just a nuisance—they pose serious public health risks. Experts warn that rodents can spread dangerous diseases like leptospirosis and hantavirus, contaminate sterile environments, and damage critical medical equipment. A 2009 review in Proceedings of the Royal Society B highlights how rodent infestations in healthcare settings compromise patient safety and research integrity. Beyond the immediate harm, such as the bite suffered by Awadhesh Kumar, their presence signals deeper failures in sanitation, infrastructure, and hospital governance.
What’s next for NMCH?
With political pressure mounting and public scrutiny intensifying, NMCH is expected to ramp up pest control measures and conduct a full internal review. For patients like Awadhesh Kumar, however, the hope is simple: a safe, clean, and dignified place to recover.
Reference:
1. Meerburg, B. G., Singleton, G. R., & Leirs, H. (2009). The ecology of commensal rodent populations: a review of the literature. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 276(1672), 2171–2180. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2008.1473
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Muhammad Faisal Arshad/MSM)