Indore MY Hospital Rat Incident: Madhya Pradesh High Court orders State govt report, Pest control contract terminated

The court registered a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and directed the state government to submit a detailed status report by September 15, addressing actions taken and official accountability.

A division bench of Administrative Judge Vivek Russia and Justice J.K. Pillai emphasized the gravity of the matter, highlighting concerns over newborns' fundamental rights and public health safety. Despite the tragic incident's link to negligence by Agile Security—the private company handling hospital cleaning, pest control, and security—no prompt punitive measures had been taken initially.

Following a four-member inquiry committee's report submitted on September 3, the Principal Secretary of Public Health and Safety ordered the termination of Agile Security's contract. Concurrently, Dr. Brijesh Lahoti, Head of Paediatric Surgery, was removed from his post, and acting HOD Dr. Manoj Joshi was suspended.

The court also revealed attempts by senior officials to downplay the situation, wrongly attributing the newborns' deaths to congenital illnesses rather than rat bites. Misleading information was reportedly conveyed to high-ranking officials, subsequently causing misinformation to be shared with the media.

This incident has attracted widespread condemnation and intervention from bodies such as the National Human Rights Commission, underscoring a critical need for stricter hospital hygiene protocols and administrative accountability. The court's firm intervention aims to ensure justice and prevent such negligence in public health facilities in the future.

The state government must now provide a comprehensive report on remedial actions taken and accountability measures by the deadline set by the High Court. 

This development spotlights urgent concerns over healthcare safety in public hospitals and the necessity of diligent oversight in medical institutions.