Telangana hospital rat-biting incident: Health Minister assures revocation of suspensions following probe results

‘Initial committee at fault’

Dr Madhala disclosed that a new three-member committee, composed of retired professors and appointed by the state government, concluded that the rat-bite incident stemmed from infrastructure and hygiene issues, absolving the doctors of negligence.

“The committee found that the rat-bite incident was not due to the inaction of doctors but owing to an infrastructure and hygiene problem” the TTGDA leader said.

Questioning the initial committee’s report led by District Collector Jitesh V Patil, Dr Madhala emphasised that innocent doctors were wrongly scapegoated, attributing the incident to the district administration’s oversight.

According to Dr Madhala, the responsibility for the rat infestation lies with the sanitation staff rather than the medical personnel. “The rats are not just in Kamareddy hospital but several other district hospitals as well. It is an inbuilt inertia in the system that needs to be strengthened,” he said.

Dr Ram Singh, Superintendent of GGH Kamareddy, explained to South First that the rats gained access to the ICU through a “small opening” in the false roof. “There are small holes in the walls of the hospital as well. So, we are addressing this issue as well as the open drainage issue,” he added.

Highlighting the unique challenges of the rural area, Dr Singh disclosed plans to construct a waiting hall for patients’ attendants. “It is a rural area, so attendants prefer to sit and eat with the patients itself. If you say anything to them, they oppose it. So, once the hall is constructed, it will help in restricting their entry into the wards. It will also have an impact on food disposal in the open and help in maintaining hygiene,” he said.

Acknowledging improvements in sanitary conditions after outsourcing to a third-party agency, Dr Madhala noted that some challenges still persist.

During Monday’s statewide protest, the TTGDA advocated for structural reforms, including restricted access for patient attendants, enhanced sanitation and security, staff recruitment, financial support, robust grievance mechanisms, clear job roles, and improved infrastructure.

Following the Health Minister’s assurance, the TTGDA suspended the “Chalo DME” programme scheduled for Tuesday in front of the Director of Medical Education’s office. The doctors, initially threatening an indefinite strike, resumed duties on Tuesday.

Also Read: Doctors across Telangana protest medical staff’s suspension over rat-bite incident

Multiple contributing factors

In the ongoing efforts to address sanitation issues at GGH Kamareddy, senior Health Department officials conducted an inspection on Monday. Their findings revealed that the entry of rats into the hospital was attributed to open drainage.

While drains in proximity to the sanitation staff room and the ICU were promptly sealed, there are still areas requiring complete coverage. The sanitation staff took immediate action by sanitising the ICU and hospital premises using bleaching powder.

However, the task of covering open drains was deferred, necessitating intervention from the relevant department.

The hospital administration acknowledged another contributing factor to the rat infestation: the improper disposal of leftover food by the relatives of patients.

Dr J Ajay Kumar, Commissioner of the Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (VVP), responsible for middle-level hospitals across the state, emphasised during a press briefing that the ongoing renovation of the dialysis unit, situated adjacent to the ICU, was also a contributing factor.

Also Read: Telangana doctors blame govt for absence of protocols after rat-bite recurrence

Rat bite incident

The incident that brought to light when family members of patient SK Mujeebuddin discovered rat bites on his fingers and toes on the night of 9 February.

A resident of Kamareddy, Mujeebuddin had been admitted to the ICU at GGH Kamareddy on 31 January for hypertension-related issues, following head and throat surgeries at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) Hyderabad on 21 January.