Rodent victim: Andhra Pradesh government promises action, Rs 2 lakh compensation announced

GUNTUR: A day after a 10-day-old infant died of rodent bites in the intensive care unit of a government hospital here, Andhra Pradesh Health Minister K Srinivas today said that action will be soon taken against erring officials in the case even as authorities announced a compensation of Rs two lakh for the family of the deceased.

"Action will be soon initiated against all those responsible for the death of the baby boy," Srinivas told reporters here after visiting the hospital along with State Minister P Sujatha, Member of Parliament, G Jayadev and Special Secretary for Health, LV Subramanyam.

The minister also interacted with Laxmi, the mother of the victim, other patients in the intensive care ward besides senior doctors including Hospital Superintendent Dr Venugopal.

Yesterday, the government had ordered an inquiry into the incident and sought a report from the hospital in this regard.

Also, an emergency meeting of the hospital's development committee was held under the chairmanship of Collector Kantilal Dande who was asked to conduct a special sanitation drive in the hospital.

Meanwhile, the advisory committee of the hospital, under the chairmanship of the Collector, today announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the family of the baby.

A few YSR Congress leaders also visited the hospital and demanded proper probe into the incident.

According to Venugopal, the boy was born on August 17 at the Vijayawada General Hospital. He was shifted to the Guntur Government hospital here for a surgery after developing some health complications, and afterwards placed in the ICU.

His mother noticed yesterday morning that the boy's right hand fingers had been bitten by rats following which he died during treatment.