Indore News: Food Distribution Banned Inside Rat-Ridden MYH

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital administration has imposed a strict ban on food distribution within the hospital premises weeks after two newborns, bitten by rat bites, had died in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

MGM Medical College dean Dr Arvind Ghanghoria on Wednesday issued an official order prohibiting the entry of food items inside the hospital campus.

The decision, he said, is aimed at preventing further rodent infestations and ensuring stricter hygiene standards across the facility. Security personnel at all hospital gates have been instructed to conduct thorough checks to ensure compliance.

“Food items should not be brought inside the hospital under any circumstances,” Ghanghoria stated in his directive. He further clarified that organisations or individuals providing meals to patients or attendants must distribute food only outside the hospital premises. The MY Hospital superintendent and the private agency responsible for maintenance, Agil Company, have been assigned to oversee this enforcement.

Besides, the dean has banned the setting up of food stalls or vendors inside the hospital campus, citing concerns over hygiene and rodent attraction.

The drastic step follows two tragic incidents in which newborns admitted to the NICU were bitten by rats. According to hospital sources, both infants had been admitted just days after birth.

Reports suggested that the rat infestation at MY Hospital is widespread, with staff members claiming that a large rat had been seen frequently in the NICU prior to the incidents. “The presence of rats has been a long-standing problem, but these incidents have exposed the scale of negligence.

The administration has also instructed pest control agencies to carry out their services under close supervision and ensure complete rodent eradication from critical areas like the NICU, wards, and kitchens.

Public outrage has been mounting since the deaths came to light, with citizens demanding accountability for what many describe as an avoidable tragedy. The hospital’s management has promised to take “strict and immediate action” to prevent such incidents in the future.

Ghanghoria has ordered an extensive sanitation and pest control drive. The new directives include:

Daily cleaning of the hospital, with special focus on removing leftover food and waste.

Chemical treatment of visible rat burrows around the campus.

Sealing cracks and holes in walls and floors to block rodent entry.

Safe and cautious use of traps or poisonous substances to eliminate rats.

Appointment of a monitoring officer to oversee daily inspection and reporting.

Mandatory submission of pest control reports to the Dean’s office every day.