Days after two newborn deaths, both girls, at the government-run Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital (MYH) in Indore, a tribal organisation has alleged that rats had nibbled off four fingers of one infant and accused the hospital administration of misleading the public.

Hospital authorities, however, maintain that the deaths were due to congenital complications and septicemia, and not directly from the rodent attack.

According to reports, the two infant girls- admitted with congenital anomalies—were bitten by rats in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) during the intervening night between August 31 and September 1.

While hospital officials confirmed the rat bites, they insisted that both babies were already in critical condition and under ventilator support.

Family members, however, claim that the true scale of the injuries only became apparent during the last rites, when they discovered that four fingers of one child were missing.

One of the families hails from Rupapata village in Dhar district, while the other is from Dewas district, both neighbouring Indore.

The incident has triggered widespread outrage, with activists from Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS) demanding strict action against senior hospital officials.

Opposition leaders have slammed the state government for gross negligence, while the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought a detailed report.

The hospital administration has suspended some nursing staff, issued show-cause notices to others, and fined the pest-control contractor Rs 1 lakh for negligence, with termination of contract also under consideration.

Hospital records reportedly reveal that pest control measures had not been carried out for years, a lapse that may have allowed rodents to infiltrate critical wards.

Administrators admitted that the rat menace had been a persistent issue in the facility, raising serious concerns about hygiene and patient safety.

Immediate pest-control drives have now been launched across the hospital, with daily monitoring ordered in the neonatal and surgical intensive care units.

While the hospital maintains that the deaths were caused by congenital heart disease, septicemia and other complications, families and activists insist that the negligence of allowing rats into an ICU contributed directly to the tragedies.

The ongoing inquiry will examine maintenance and pest-control logs, duty rosters, CCTV footage, and medical records to establish accountability.

The horrifying case has cast a harsh spotlight on the crumbling infrastructure and administrative lapses in one of central India’s largest government hospitals.

For grieving families, the demand is not just for compensation but for accountability and systemic reform to ensure no parent ever has to face such a tragedy again.

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