Rat bite case: Baby handed over to mother

Could be discharged after check up on Thursday; sources say RMC principal sacked over incident.

RAWALPINDI:

The new born baby who was bitten by a rat at Holy Family Hospital (HFH) was handed over to his mother on Wednesday.

The baby was given to his mother, Raheela Bibi for breastfeeding. The doctors will examine him and decide whether or not he should be discharged from the hospital, HFH Deputy Medical Superintendent (DMS) Dr Azhar told The Express Tribune.

“The baby is doing well after being given antibiotics for the scratches and rat bites,” said the DMS.

Meanwhile a two-member inquiry team looking into the rat biting incident at Holy Family Hospital, has sent its findings and recommendations to the Punjab health secretary.

The incident that occurred early on Monday morning, has already led to the change of the HFH medical superintendent and suspension of three other doctors and four staff members.

Separately, the Punjab government has directed the medical superintendents (MS) of all provincial hospitals to carry out clean up operations and submit reports to the health department within two weeks.

Rawalpindi District Coordination Officer (DCO) Saqib Zaffar also directed the health EDO and Rural Health DO to ensure cleanliness at all tehsil headquarter hospitals, rural health centres and basic health units.

Word is also going around that Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC) Principal Dr Mussadiq Khan, who as RMC principal is also the head of HFH and two other government teaching hospitals in Rawalpindi, has been replaced because of the incident.

Although Dr Khan had not received any order of his transfer or suspension when this story was filed, a senior doctor at RMC insisted that the health department had issued the orders. He added that the Punjab health secretary had appointed urologist Dr Afzal Farooqi as the new RMC principal.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2012.