Protest after 'rats gouge eyes' of corpse in morgue

Kolkata: The family members of a 69-year-old man, who died after allegedly falling on road on Sunday, protested at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital here and refused to take the body after post-mortem on Monday evening, claiming that his eyes were missing from the body.

The hospital authorities formed a committee to look into the matter, even as the family claimed that the employees blamed rats present at the morgue for it.

The body of Sambhunath Das was sent to R G Kar hospital for post-mortem by police, as it was an unnatural death.

The deceased's son, Sushanta Das, said they had received the body wrapped up in plastic sheets and a piece of cloth on Monday evening after the post-mortem.

"On removing the cover from his face, we found his eyes missing. The employees told us that the rats gouged his eyes out," said Sushanta.

So, the family members started protesting and refused to take the body.

Later, they accepted the body after the R G Kar hospital authorities initiated a probe into the incident.

"We are taking the matter seriously. I have asked the committee, which has been formed specially for the case, to submit a report within 72 hours," said Suddhadhan Batabyal, principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The family has also submitted a written complaint to the hospital authorities, mentioning that his eyes were missing and on being asked, the staff told them that the rats on the campus might have nibbled them.

As per the hospital sources, the bodies are kept on iron trays in an iron cupboard inside the morgue.

"There are big rodents inside the premises, specially in and around the morgue, and all efforts to get rid of them have become futile," said a staff of the hospital.

Recently, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation served a notice to R G Kar hospital over dirty premises during an anti-larvae drive. Liquid garbage was found scattered and the hospital authorities were asked to clean the premises within seven days.

This is not the first such incident in a state-run hospital. In 2008, the body of a 27-year-old was nibbled by rodents at the morgue of N R S Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

(With inputs from Indian Express)