**Indore’s Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital Imposes Strict Ban on Food Distribution Following Neonatal Rat Bite Tragedy**
Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In response to two tragic deaths of newborns who suffered rat bites in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Maharaja Yeshwantrao (MY) Hospital administration has implemented a strict ban on food distribution within the hospital premises.
Dr. Arvind Ghanghoria, Dean of MGM Medical College, issued an official order on Wednesday prohibiting the entry of all food items into the hospital campus. This decisive move aims to prevent further rodent infestations and enforce more rigorous hygiene standards across the facility.
To ensure compliance, security personnel at all hospital gates have been instructed to conduct thorough checks, with a clear directive from Dr. Ghanghoria: “Food items should not be brought inside the hospital under any circumstances.” He also clarified that organizations or individuals providing meals to patients or their attendants must distribute food strictly outside the hospital grounds.
The enforcement responsibility has been assigned jointly to the MY Hospital superintendent and Agil Company, the private agency managing maintenance services. Alongside the food ban, the dean has also prohibited the establishment of food stalls or vendors within the hospital campus due to concerns about hygiene and the attraction of rodents.
These drastic measures follow two heartbreaking incidents where newborns in the NICU were bitten by rats. Hospital sources revealed that both infants had been admitted just days after birth. Reports indicate that rat infestation at MY Hospital is widespread, with staff members recounting sightings of a large rat frequently roaming the NICU before these unfortunate events.
“The presence of rats has been a long-standing problem, but these incidents have highlighted severe negligence,” stated a hospital insider.
In response, the administration has instructed pest control agencies to operate under close supervision, ensuring complete rodent eradication in critical areas such as the NICU, hospital wards, and kitchens.
Public outrage has been mounting since news of the deaths surfaced, with citizens calling for accountability over what many describe as an avoidable tragedy. The hospital management has pledged to take “strict and immediate action” to prevent any recurrence.
As part of the new directives, Dr. Ghanghoria has ordered an extensive sanitation and pest control campaign, which includes:
– Daily cleaning of the hospital premises, with special emphasis on removing leftover food and waste.
– Chemical treatment targeting visible rat burrows around the campus.
– Sealing of cracks and holes in walls and floors to block rodent entry points.
– Safe and careful deployment of traps and rodenticides to eliminate rats.
– Appointment of a monitoring officer responsible for daily inspections and reporting.
– Mandatory submission of daily pest control reports to the Dean’s office.
These measures aim to restore safety and hygiene within MY Hospital, reassuring patients, their families, and the public about the institution’s commitment to health and care standards.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/indore/indore-news-food-distribution-banned-inside-rat-ridden-myh
