BHOPAL: The chilling episode of ants crawling over the eyes of a dead man for hours at the Shivpuri District Hospital in Madhya Pradesh has led to the suspension of five staff members of the hospital, including the civil surgeon, a doctor and three nurses.
According to Shivpuri district collector Anugraha P, after the preliminary probe into the matter, the Gwalior Divisional Commissioner has suspended the civil surgeon (who heads the district hospital), the on-duty doctor and three nurses in the matter. Detailed probe, however, will continue into the matter.
On Tuesday morning, a 50-year-old Tuberculosis patient Balchandra Lodhi was admitted at the hospital’s medical ward. He reportedly died after five hours. Other patients admitted at the same ward informed the doctors about the development, but the on-duty doctor and nurses did nothing to shift the body to the mortuary.
With no one to attend the body, the deceased's widow Ramshri Lodhi was seen trying to remove the ants which crawled over her dead husband’s eyes. The images of the shocker subsequently went viral over social media on Tuesday evening.
Ruling Congress leaders alleged on Wednesday that doctors declared the patient dead without even touching him and left the body lying at the same place for hours.
As the shocker came to Chief Minister Kamal Nath’s knowledge, he tweeted on Wednesday,"It is highly insensitive that the ants were crawling on the dead patient at a district hospital in Shivpuri. Such incidents are a shame for humanity and cannot be tolerated. I have ordered an inquiry and strict action will be taken against those found guilty.
"The incident puts humanity to shame and is heart-wrenching. I have spoken to the health minister, Tulsi Silawat, and asked that those guilty should be strongly punished so that such cases don't recur," said senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is the former Lok Sabha member from Guna seat, which also includes Shivpuri district.