Critically Ill Patient Bitten By Rat While At Hospital; Investigation Underway

A patient in the intensive care unit of a hospital in India was bitten by a rat near his eye, his family claimed Tuesday.

Hospital officials confirmed the incident, but said injuries were "superficial" and the patient's eye has not been affected, media outlet India Today reported.

Shriniwas Yellapa, 24, was admitted to the hospital in the western state of Maharashtra with liver-related complications. He was on a ventilator when the rat bit him. When Yellapa's sister visited him in the hospital Tuesday, she found the area under his left eye had been bandaged. The doctors then informed her Yellapa was bitten by a rat.

"I noticed an injury to my brother's left eye when I visited him today in the hospital. I informed the authorities about the injury. My brother was then shifted to another bed and his wound was treated," Yellappa's sister told India Today. "He is already in a critical condition. Who will be responsible if something happens to him.”

Officials of Rajawadi Hospital in suburban Ghatkopar, which falls under the city of Mumbai's administration, said the rat bit the skin below the patient's eye.

"Such an incident should not have happened. The injuries of the patient are superficial. Still it could have been avoided. There is no threat to the eye, but injuries are being treated at our hospital," Dr Vidya Thakur, Dean of Rajawadi Hospital, told the local media.

"The ward (where the incident took place) is on the ground floor. Some people dump garbage inside the hospital premises despite being told not to do so. It could have attracted rodents there," she said, News18 reported. Dr. Thakur added the hospital management will take utmost care to avoid such incidents.

"We have taken some rodent repellent measures. We will take extra care to avoid such incidents."

The incident sparked concerns, and authorities said the matter would be investigated.

"The intensive care unit should be on the ground-floor for convenience. Though proper precautions were taken, the incident of a rat biting a patient is a serious issue," Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar said.