10-Year-Old Dies After Alleged Rat Bite At Rajasthan Cancer Hospital

A 10-year-old boy, who was undergoing cancer treatment at a government hospital in Rajasthan, tragically died after he was allegedly bitten by a rat on one of his toes. The incident occurred at the State Cancer Institute, where the boy had been admitted on December 11. While the hospital officials attributed the boy’s death to “septicaemia shock and high infection,” they did not confirm the rat bite as the cause of death. The Rajasthan government has, however, constituted a committee to investigate the matter further.

Details of the Incident

The hospital superintendent, Dr. Sandeep Jasuja, confirmed that the boy died on Friday due to severe infection leading to septic shock. According to Dr. Jasuja, the boy had also been suffering from fever and pneumonia, which contributed to his deteriorating condition. He added that the hospital treated the boy for the infection as soon as the rat bite was reported.

The Alleged Rat Bite

The incident first came to light when a news report published in a vernacular daily mentioned that the boy had started crying shortly after being admitted to the hospital. When his family members checked on him, they noticed blood oozing from one of his toes. Upon inspection, they discovered that the boy had been bitten by a rat while lying under a blanket. The family immediately alerted the nursing staff, who applied first aid and bandaged the boy’s leg.

Hospital’s Response and Investigation

Dr. Jasuja assured that the hospital staff had treated the boy immediately upon being informed about the rat bite. In response to the incident, the hospital has taken steps to ensure cleanliness in the hospital premises and to prevent such occurrences in the future.

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan government has taken the matter seriously and has instructed Medical Education Secretary Ambrish Kumar to seek a detailed report from the principal of Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Medical College, which is associated with the State Cancer Institute. The committee is expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the rat bite and the death of the young patient.

The tragic death of the 10-year-old boy has raised serious concerns about hygiene and the condition of government-run hospitals. While the cause of death has been attributed to septicaemia shock, the investigation into the alleged rat bite will hopefully shed more light on the matter.

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