10-year-old cancer patient bitten by rat at government hospital in Jaipur dies

Jaipur: A 10-year-old boy allegedly bitten by a rat on one of his toes while undergoing treatment for cancer at a government hospital here has died, an official said on Saturday.

While the State Cancer Institute, where the boy was admitted on December 11, said the death was caused by "septicaemia shock and high infection" and not a rat bite, the Rajasthan government has constituted a committee to probe the matter.

Hospital superintendent Dr Sandeep Jasuja said, "The child also had fever and pneumonia. He died due to high infection septicaemia shock on Friday".

Medical education secretary Ambrish Kumar has sought a report from the principal of Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Medical College which is associated with the State Cancer Institute, officials said.

According to a news report published in a vernacular daily shortly after being admitted, the child started crying. When his family members removed the blanket he was lying under, they saw blood oozing from one of his toes due to a rat bite.

The family members alerted the nursing staff present there who bandaged the leg after applying first aid.

Jasuja said that they treated the child as soon as they received the information about the rat bite. He said that directives have been sent to ensure cleanliness in the hospital premises.