In a surprise move to address it embarrassing rat problem, Holy Family Hospital (HFH) has brought in expert mousers to hunt down the rodents. The HFH staff released cats in different parts of the hospital to get rid of the rats, with hospital sources claiming ten mice falling prey to the expert hunters in the ‘first shift’ on Tuesday alone.
As for the newborn that was bitten by a rat, he was apparently left unattended by two staff nurses because they went to attend the delivery of the sister of a hospital nurse on Sunday night.
A doctor close to the inquiry into the incident, which is being conducted by a two-member team on the direction of the Punjab Health secretary, said that the baby boy was left unattended in Labour Room I because the nurses on duty allegedly left to oblige a colleague, whose pregnant sister was brought to the hospital. Leaving a baby unattended is against hospital protocols.
According to the doctor, who requested anonymity, as the nurses were busy with the sister of their colleague, one of them noticed the newborn crying and noticed he had been bitten by a rat.
Health Executive District Officer (EDO) Dr Zaffar Iqbal Gondal and Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC) Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr Shoaib Khan started their inquiry at HFH on Tuesday and interviewed the concerned doctors and officials.
In the meantime, HFH MS Dr Muhammad Fiaz suspended five staff members including the nurse in charge of the labour room, two maids and two sanitary workers for negligence.
The inquiry team found that there was unprecedented pressure on the gynaecology ward of HFH on Sunday night: they had to perform 26 deliveries including nine caesarean sections.
Three cases were handled at one time as the first delivery was at 1:35am, the second at 1:45am and third at 1:55am, putting immense pressure on the duty staff, the doctor said.
The injured child’s mother, Rahila Bibi, was brought to Rawalpindi from a village near Taxila as she was facing delivery-related complications. The newborn was kept in the labour room for consultation with a child specialist to decide whether he should be kept under observation at the nursery or be handed over to the mother and her attendants.
As he was put on a couch to be checked by the child specialist, the staff got busy with their colleague’s sister and the doctor could not be called to see the newborn.
The source said the inquiry team questioned Dr Shahida Shah, the additional medical superintendent (AMS) in charge of the labour room, over why the facility was not kept sanitary. The team learnt that she had not visited the labour room since she was appointed AMS four years ago.
The inquiry officials also questioned a Deputy Medical Superintendent who was responsible for eliminating rats and other rodents from the hospital.
HFH MS Dr Fiaz informed the media that ten rats were killed on Tuesday and that they were doing everything to eliminate the remaining rodents.
Rawalpindi Medical College Principal Dr Musadaq Khan, who is also head of the Rawalpindi’s government hospitals, said the unusually high workload led to the unfortunate incident. He added they had reshuffled the staff and deputed more people at pressure points in the department.
Dr Khan added the inquiry team would finalise its report on Wednesday (today).
Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2012.
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