Indore, Sep 10 (PTI) Days after the death of two newborn girls following a rat attack at Indore’s Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital, the government-run facility on Wednesday removed the paediatric surgery department head from his post, while its superintendent suddenly went on a 15-day leave, said officials.
Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital (MYH) is affiliated to the Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Medical College of the Madhya Pradesh city.
Professor Dr Brajesh Lahoti was removed by the hospital administration from the post of head of the department of paediatric surgery at MYH on the basis of the report of a state-level inquiry committee, which looked into the rat attack incidents, the officials said.
Associate Professor Dr Ashok Laddha has been appointed in Lahoti’s place.
In a related development, MYH superintendent Dr Ashok Yadav has gone on a 15-day leave citing his ‘extremely poor health’, they said.
According to the officials, the MYH administration has already taken disciplinary action against six other officials, including suspension and removal from their respective posts, in the case of the death of the newborns after being bitten by rats.
On the intervening night of August 31-September 1, rats attacked two newborn girls suffering from different congenital deformities (birth defects) in the ICU of MYH. Both of them later died with hospital officials attributing the cause to serious pre-existing health problems and congenital deformities rather than rat bites.
The family of one of these girls lives in Dewas district, while the relatives of the other newborn hail from Dhar district. Dewas and Dhar are neighboring districts of Indore.
The MYH administration, facing allegations of gross negligence, continues to insist that the death of both the girls has nothing to do with rat bites.
A tribal organisation, ‘Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS)’, is demanding the suspension of Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College dean Dr Arvind Ghanghoria and MYH superintendent Yadav besides registration of a culpable homicide case against officials responsible for the death. PTI HWP MAS RSY
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