By Special Correspondent
Bhopal: The tragic deaths of two newborns at Maharaja Yashwantrao (MY) Hospital in Indore, allegedly caused by rat bites, have sparked nationwide outrage and fierce political criticism. The Madhya Pradesh Congress has described the incident as a “criminal negligence” of the BJP government, exposing the rot in the state’s healthcare system.
Congress Media Department Chairman Dr Mukesh Nayak said this was not an accident but the outcome of corruption and administrative collapse. He recalled that similar cases had occurred earlier: in 2015, rats gnawed at the head of a stillborn infant in the hospital morgue; in 2021, another newborn’s legs were bitten; and despite a pest control contract being awarded to a private company in 2023, the work remained incomplete. Shockingly, the government is now preparing to pay the company ₹11 crore without results.
Dr Nayak accused the administration of concealing the truth by prematurely declaring the cause of death as a heart ailment without waiting for the post-mortem. During an inspection, rats were reportedly seen running in the hospital corridors and cockroaches crawling near patient areas.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi termed the incident “cold-blooded murder,” stating: “A mother lost her child because the government failed in its most basic responsibility. The BJP has deliberately handed over healthcare to private interests, turning government hospitals into death traps for the poor.”
The Congress also highlighted another disturbing case from Singrauli, where a tribal woman from the Baiga community was forced to give birth on a muddy road due to the absence of an ambulance or Janani Express service, leaving both mother and child in a critical condition.
Demanding accountability, Dr Nayak said Chief Minister Mohan Yadav must apologise and announce a concrete plan to overhaul the health sector. He warned, “If this neglect continues, the BJP’s corruption will consume the future of Madhya Pradesh.”
