Indore, Sep 3 : A day after the shocking incident of rodent attack inside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ward of M. Y. Hospital in Indore, in which one newborn (baby girl) died, Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla on Wednesday claimed that the government has taken the incident very seriously, asserting that pest control was not carried out in the hospital.

'The incident is very serious. The government has initiated action and suspended two staff members (nurses). Further action would be taken once the detailed investigation report is available. The pest control wasn't carried out in the hospital,' the Deputy Chief Minister told the media persons.

Shukla (61), who is also the state's Health and Family Welfare Minister, said that he has instructed the Principal Secretary of Health and Family Department to submit a detailed report within one week.

'The pest control and cleanliness drive was not done regularly, which is why M. Y. Hospital has become a shelter for the rodents,' said the Deputy Chief Minister.

The babies, born last week, were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Maharaja Yashwantrao Chikitsalaya (MYH), one of the biggest government hospitals in the state.

The incident came to light when the nursing team of the hospital saw the injured newborns and informed the hospital management.

The administration then scanned CCTV cameras installed in the unit and found rats jumping in a swing near the newborns.

After the incident broke out on Tuesday, Dean of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Hospital, which is the past of M.Y. hospital, Arvind Ghanghoria, told media persons that a fine of Rs 1 lakh has been imposed on the pest control agency.

One of two babies bitten by rodents, weighing just 1.2 kilograms, died on Tuesday evening. Although doctors maintain that the cause of death was severe infection and congenital complications, the presence of rats in a neonatal ward has triggered outrage about the negligence and unhygienic conditions of the hospital.

According to doctors, the infant who died had been brought from Khargone in an extremely fragile condition, with low haemoglobin and underdeveloped organs. He was on oxygen and ventilator support.

Despite the medical challenges, the rodent bite incident has been viewed as a serious contributing factor that compromised his already deteriorating health.

/IANS