In Madhya Pradesh, a growing rat problem in government hospitals has sparked fresh outrage from the opposition Congress party. They’re slamming the BJP-led state government for failing to keep public health facilities safe, especially after tragic incidents that have put patients at risk.
The latest uproar follows shocking scenes of rats scurrying around in two more state-run hospitals last week—one at Shivpuri district hospital and the other at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College in Jabalpur. This comes on the heels of a heartbreaking case in Indore’s Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital, where two newborn babies died from rat bites. Despite that, critics say the administration hasn’t stepped up enough to tackle the rat infestation in Madhya Pradesh hospitals.
Umang Singhar, the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, zeroed in on Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, who also oversees health and medical education. “Shukla isn’t taking the rat menace seriously, even though it’s a major issue in several government hospitals across Madhya Pradesh,” Singhar charged. He painted a bleak picture of the public health system, saying these problems reveal deeper issues in how state-run facilities are managed.
Singhar didn’t hold back on examples from Shukla’s home turf in Rewa district. He pointed to cracks already showing in a brand-new government hospital building there, plus shortages of medical facilities at Sanjay Gandhi Hospital. “If Shukla can’t handle things in his own district, what can we expect elsewhere?” Singhar asked. He also blasted the deputy CM over rising drug and alcohol problems in Rewa, noting that liquor and cough syrup like Corex are being sold and consumed openly. “It shows just how incapable he is,” Singhar told reporters in Bhopal.
Shukla, a heavyweight from the Vindhya region and a five-time MLA from Rewa since his first win in 2003, faces mounting pressure. Singhar added, “If the BJP can’t even manage their own city—where dogs and rats roam freely and newborns get hurt—how can they run hospitals properly?”
In response to the Shivpuri reports, Shukla pushed back, saying rats were spotted but no patients were bitten. “The whole medical college and hospital are on high alert now,” he explained. “We’ve ramped up pest control monitoring and taken steps to prevent this from happening again. The entire health department has been instructed to stay vigilant.”
As concerns over rat infestations in Indian government hospitals grow, calls for better pest control and patient safety measures in Madhya Pradesh are getting louder.
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