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A specially-abled patient at Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) in Patna alleged that rodents bit his right foot while he was asleep, the latest in a series of bizarre rodent-related incidents in the State.
Awadhesh Kumar, a middle-aged patient, said he noticed bleeding on his right-leg toes on the morning of May 18. “I was shocked to see blood on my foot. Rats have created havoc in the ward,” he told reporters from bed No. 55.
Dr. Om Prakash, head of NMCH’s Orthopaedic Department, confirmed that the matter has been reported to the medical superintendent. “We have taken note of the incident,” he said.
“Action will be taken against those responsible,” a senior health official told The Hindu, requesting anonymity.
The incident has triggered political backlash. Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav slammed the government, citing this as another example of healthcare negligence under the BJP health minister Mangal Pandey. “Rats bit a patient in the NMCH again. What else can one expect in a hospital where even dead bodies aren’t safe?” he posted, referencing a previous case where a rat allegedly gnawed the eye of a deceased patient.
While Bihar has a history of bizarre rodent-related incidents, critics argue that rats have become a convenient scapegoat for systemic failures in State-run facilities.
Published – May 21, 2025 05:00 am IST