Telangana shocker: Rats mutilate face of man brought for post mortem in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri hospital

In the absence of any staff at the mortuary, rats reportedly gnawed at the dead man’s remains.

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Attempt to cover up

According to Shankar’s relatives, the hospital staff attempted to cover up the incident by discreetly proceeding with the post-mortem.

Unfortunately for them, some vigilant locals discovered the distressing event and reportedly captured photographs of rats gnawing at the body.

The grieving family, informed by the concerned individuals, arrived at the hospital and were horrified by the gruesome sight.

“The condition of the mortuary in the government hospital is in a very sad state. The body, which was brought for a post-mortem, was bitten by rats and rodents. Dead people are equal to gods, but in that hospital, from the lowest level to the highest level, everything is driven by money,” one of Shankar’s relatives said in a video taken at the spot.

“Despite the hospital being the biggest in the area, they refer patients to private hospitals. We condemn this and demand that no such thing is repeated,” he added.

Locals alleged that the hospital had long been plagued by rat infestation, but the staff turned a blind eye to it.

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Denial of allegation

“The incident is not as portrayed. Our doctors and attendants saw the body in the same state as it arrived, and the allegation of rat biting is unfounded. When we received the body, a minor aberration was present,” District Hospital Superintendent Dr Chinna Naik told South First.

However, he said that the hospital authorities have launched an inquiry and promised the grieving family that appropriate action would be taken against those responsible, if any negligence was found.

Speaking to South First, S Sudheer Krishna, SHO of the Bhongir Town Police Station, said that the person died by suicide on the night of 30 July.

“We transported the body to the hospital at around 1 am, and during transportation, his face appeared normal. The video that has now surfaced showing his face altered by rodents happened after the body was placed in the mortuary,” said Krishna.

“Mortuaries are susceptible to infestations by various insects, from small ants to rodents. When the cold chamber malfunctions and bodies are placed on tables, if the mortuary is not cleaned and maintained hygienically, it becomes vulnerable to insect infestations,” a forensic science expert who works in a Hyderabad-based hospital mortuary told South First.

“In this case, it seems that rodents may be responsible for the damage rather than smaller insects,” he added.

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