Thane, March 18: An 89-year-old woman undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a government hospital in Maharashtra’s Bhayandar has died, with her family alleging that rat bites and medical negligence led to her death, officials said.
The deceased, identified as Suhasini Matekar, had been admitted to the Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Government Hospital on March 12 and was on ventilator support in the ICU.
Family members claimed that when they visited the hospital a day after the incident, they noticed injuries on her hand, which they alleged were caused by a rat. They further alleged that the wounds had led to significant blood loss and that the hospital staff were unaware of the situation until it was brought to their attention.
“It was only after we noticed the loss of blood due to rat bite that the staff got in action,” a family member said, expressing shock over the alleged lapse in monitoring a critical patient.
The patient’s daughter also claimed that she had previously spotted rats and their footprints inside the ICU, raising concerns over sanitation and hygiene conditions in the facility.
“It was shocking that the hospital staff didn’t realise that a patient in the ICU has been bitten by a rat,” another relative said.
Hospital authorities, however, attributed the increased presence of rodents to ongoing construction and excavation work around the premises.
“Construction work currently underway around the hospital premises has resulted in an increase in the rat population,” a senior hospital official said.
The hospital administration has issued show-cause notices to the doctors and nursing staff on duty and has constituted a departmental inquiry committee to investigate the incident.
The case has triggered serious concerns over patient safety, hygiene standards, and possible negligence in government healthcare facilities, with further action expected based on the findings of the inquiry.
