The deaths of two critically ailing newborns after rat bites inside the Neonatal ICU (NICU) of Indore's Maharaja Yashwantrao (MY) Hospital have snowballed into a political storm, with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi holding the government squarely responsible.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Mr Gandhi wrote: "In Indore, two newborn babies died due to rat bites in MP's largest government hospital. This incident is so horrific, inhuman and insensitive that even hearing about it sends shivers down the spine. Children have been snatched from mothers' laps, simply because the government failed to fulfill its most basic responsibility".
Accusing the Centre and the Madhya Pradesh government of abandoning public health for private interests, Mr Gandhi alleged: "Government hospitals are no longer life-saving, but have become dens of death. PM Modi and the MP CM should hang their heads in shame." He vowed to continue the fight "for the rights of every poor person, every family, every child."
Rahul Gandhi's attack came as state officials scrambled to contain the fallout.
Hours after Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav announced a high-level probe, Commissioner for Public Health Tarun Rathi visited MY Hospital and reviewed conditions at the paediatric unit.
The State Human Rights Commission has also sought a report from the medical superintendent within a week.
A five-member committee of doctors and a nursing officer has been set up to investigate the ingress of rats, with a report due in seven days.
The hospital administration has suspended two nurses, removed the nursing superintendent, issued show-cause notices to senior staff, and fined the pest control company Rs 1 lakh.
Both infants -- baby girls on ventilator support due to congenital anomalies were bitten on the fingers and shoulders on Sunday and Monday -- and died on Tuesday and Wednesday. While the rat bite marks were confirmed, hospital authorities maintain the deaths were due to septicemia and pre-existing conditions, not the injuries.
Hospital Superintendent Dr. Ashok Yadav said: "The deaths were not due to rat bites but because of congenital diseases, low weight and infections." Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jitendra Verma echoed that view, calling the rat bites "minor injuries."
But the gruesome details have left the public outraged. Families and staff admitted rats had been roaming in the NICU for days, with food waste and overgrown bushes creating a breeding ground.
As Mr Gandhi sharpened the political attack, the Chief Minister promised "a permanent solution" to prevent such incidents. But for many, the horror of rat bites in a neonatal ICU has already exposed a rot that apologies and probes may not easily cover.
