Rats nibble at body in Telangana government hospital, probe ordered

The deceased had committed suicide on Saturday and his body was brought to the government hospital at Jagtial town in the night for post-mortem.

A body kept in the mortuary of a government hospital in Telangana was allegedly gnawed at by rats, prompting the authorities to suspend an official and launch a probe.

The district health officer said doctors had told the mortuary in-charge to keep the body in the freezer who did not do so and the next day the body was found partly bitten by rats. (Representative image)

As the incident came to light on Sunday, authorities in Jagtial district suspended the mortuary in- charge and ordered a probe, an official said on Monday.

“An inquiry has been ordered into the incident,” said Jagtial district medical and health officer R Sugandhini.

The deceased, Arshad Pasha, had committed suicide on Saturday and his body was brought to the government hospital at Jagtial town in the night for post-mortem, she said.

“As it was late in the night, doctors told the mortuary in-charge, Sudhakar, to keep the body in the freezer. However, he did not do so and the next day the body was found partly bitten by rats,” Sugandhini said.

When Pasha’s family members came to know about the incident, they staged a sit-in at the hospital, she said.

District collector A Sharath visited the hospital and ordered an inquiry by the revenue divisional officer, she said.

“The collector ordered suspension of the officer concerned Sudhakar and issued a memo to another hospital staffer,” Sugandhini said.