Jogeshwari hospital: Not rat bite, just suspicion

File pic of Parvinder Gupta, whose right eye was nibbled on April 22, 2018

"It wasn't a rat bite, but a suspicion raised by the patient's relatives," reiterated the administration of Bal Thackeray Trauma Care Municipal Hospital in Jogeshwari in its inquiry report to the Maharashtra State Human Right Commission (MSHRC). On the night of April 22, 2018, a rat nibbled the right eye of a comatose patient and the MSHRC ordered the hospital administration to conduct an inquiry following Parvinder Gupta's death on May 5 this year. While his parents alleged that he died because of ulcer caused by the rat bite, the post mortem reported said "intracranial haemorrhage" caused the patient's death.

In its report submitted to the MSHRC on July 10 this year, the hospital said, "On April 28, 2018, the patient was shifted to MICU when relatives noticed congestion and redness in the right eye. Since the relatives had noticed a rat in the male ward on April 23, 2018, they suspected it was a rat bite...an ophthalmic opinion was taken from Dr Arun Choudhary (MS) who said there was no evidence of rat bite". The hospital's response to MSHRC, however, contradicts the medical documents dated April 23 that clearly mentioned, "Rat bite on right eye yesterday... bleeding through right eye, urgent ophthalmologist."

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Parvinder's parents have blasted the hospital for lying to the commission. His father, Rampalat Gupta, said, "There was clear nibbling marks in his eyes. An infection doesn't create a dent in the eye. The hospital is making such false claims just to save themselves. I lost everything on his treatment and even lost my son," he added. However, Dr Vidya Mane, hospital superintendent, maintained the administration's stand on the matter. "I have checked all the documents of the experts which showed there was redness in the eye caused by an infection. In fact, the statement given by the parents said they had seen rats but didn't see it nibbling the eye," she said.

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