A 24-year-old patient died at a civic-run hospital in suburban Ghatkopar after he was bitten by a rat at the medical facility, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials said. The patient was suffering from an alcohol-related liver disease and was in a very critical condition, they said, adding that he died on Wednesday. The hospital management had confirmed the rat bite incident, but said that injuries were “superficial”.
On Tuesday, a relative of the patient alleged that a rat had bitten near his eye, when he was admitted at the ICU of the hospital and created ruckus, prompting Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar to order a probe into the matter.
Srinivas Yellapa was admitted to the hospital following respiratory issues. After being admitted to the hospital, he was also diagnosed with brain and liver damage and was then shifted to the ICU. On Wednesday, the leader of Opposition in legislative council, Pravin Darekar, along with Ghatkopat East MLA Parag Shah and Mumbai BJP secretary Pravin Chheda went to the hospital and met the family members of the patient. They also met Dr Thakur and questioned the authorities about the poor maintenance of the hospital.
Yashoda Yallapa, the sister of the patient, said that when she visited her brother on Tuesday, she was told he had been bitten by a rat. After she raised an alarm, several politicians, including Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar and Shiv Sena MLA Dilip Lande, who represents Saki Naka area where the patient lived, reached the hospital on Tuesday.