The Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital in Prayagraj has caught the attention of the Allahabad High Court, which has independently recognized and acted upon a news report from Amar Ujala newspaper highlighting the issue of a rat infestation in the hospital premises.

Instructing the registration of the issue as a suo moto Public Interest Litigation (PIL), a bench consisting of Acting Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Kshitij Shailendra has mandated the relevant authorities to provide details regarding the actions taken by the hospital administration to address the rat infestation problem.

Yesterday, the mentioned newspaper featured a report emphasizing the significant threat posed by rodents in the hospital. The report underscored that these rodents are causing damage to medicines and other stored articles within the hospital premises.

The report also cited Dr. Ajay Saxena, Chief Superintendent of SRN Hospital, acknowledging that despite the hospital's best efforts, the rodent menace persists. Dr. Saxena mentioned that the administration is actively exploring various options to effectively address and mitigate the issue.

In its directive, the Court noted that if the information in the news article is accurate, it poses a 'potential threat' to both the patients visiting the hospital and those already admitted, constituting a health hazard.

Additionally, in response to the Court's inquiry about the actions taken, the Additional Advocate General informed that measures to control the rodent menace in the hospital have been outsourced to a housekeeping agency. The agency is implementing various measures, including the provision of rodent traps, rat pads, rat poison, and other relevant steps.

Furthermore, it was conveyed that the agency had given assurances to the Chief Superintendent, pledging a serious commitment to addressing the issue. The agency expressed its intent to initiate a special drive dedicated to containing the rodent menace in the hospital.

Though it was also submitted that the presence of rodents is only due to attendants of patients who bring eatables inside the premises of the hospital, the Court was not impressed by the said submission as it observed that the same doesn't justify the helplessness of the authorities and staff of the hospital.

In response to the unsatisfactory explanation, the Court issued a directive instructing the Chief Superintendent of SRN Hospital to provide comprehensive details on record. This includes information about the contract between SRN Hospital and the agency, the financial transactions involved, the specific measures implemented by the agency to address the rodent issue, and the actions taken or planned by the hospital authorities to prevent the breeding of rodents in and around SRN Hospital.

The matter would be heard next on February 12.

Case title – Suo Motu In Re: Rodents Menace In Srn Hospital vs. State of U.P [PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION (PIL) No. - 18 of 2024]