Medical education team inspects Gonda college after viral video of rats in UP hospital

Gonda: A team from the Department of Medical Education, Uttar Pradesh, visited the medical college in Gonda district on Sunday after a video of rats scurrying inside the hospital went viral on the internet. The team arrived on the directions of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, and carried out a detailed inspection of cleanliness, patient facilities and overall arrangements in various wards of the medical college, officials said.

The action comes after a video showing rats moving freely in the orthopaedics ward, running from the oxygen pipeline to patients’ beds, had gone viral a few days ago. Following the video, several opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, raised questions over the condition of the medical college.

Director (Medical Care) Sandeepa Srivastava, who led the team, said the state government had directed them to visit the medical college and submit a report on the entire incident. Despite the OPD remaining closed on Sunday, the team inspected the orthopaedics wards, among others and gathered information about the existing arrangements, she said.

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"The facts that emerged during the inspection are being compiled, and a report will be submitted to the government soon," Srivastava added. After the video went viral, the government took serious note and suspended the entire staff of the concerned ward with immediate effect.

The District Magistrate Priyanka Niranjan had also inspected the medical college and directed that OPD services be shifted to the newly constructed multi-storey building at the earliest. Medical Superintendent D N Singh said that from January 19, almost all OPD services will be operated from the new building. He also said that the college will implement a "one patient, one attendant" system for admitted patients.

Visiting hours for attendants have also been fixed -- from 7 am to 8 am, 1 pm to 2 pm and 4 pm to 6 pm -- he said, adding that at other times only one attendant would be allowed to stay with each patient, officials said. The college administration has also started to take strict action and impose fines against those found littering and consuming tobacco or gutkha on campus.

Meanwhile, even before the probe into the rats incident was completed, another video allegedly from the medical college surfaced on social media, showing three dogs sitting on a bed next to a patient. Though it is being claimed that the video is from the same medical college. However, the time and ward of the incident could not be ascertained. Chief Medical Superintendent Anil Tiwari said the matter of dogs sitting on beds was not within his knowledge.