Rats Nibble Patient in ICU at Government Hospital Exposes The State of Healthcare Infrastructure in Ram Rajya, Uttar Pradesh

A strange incident involving rats nibbling on a patient at a government hospital in Budaun, Uttar Pradesh, has recently come to light. After being seriously injured in a road accident, Ram Sevak Gupta was admitted to the Government Medical College for treatment. On Friday, June 21, patient’s wife, upon entering the ICU, saw a rat nibbling on his feet with blood coming out of it. The patient’s brother, Ram Prakash Gupta, had also mentioned that there were similar marks on other parts of his body, like his forehead and ears, which are a result of the hospital’s negligence. After due inspection by the principal of the College, it was discovered that a hole had been made near the oxygen pipe and another near the window from where the rats may have entered.

The incident is not the first of its kind, and it is definitely not an unfamiliar one. It is a symbolic representation of how vain and unreliable the Indian healthcare system is. The COVID-19 pandemic uncovered the disturbing realities of lagging healthcare, which has been thoroughly and immensely neglected. Not just rural settings but also urban infrastructure failed to provide adequate help to the people. Thousands of people died in the second wave because of the lack of oxygen cylinders. The situation was so unmanageable that other countries exported oxygen cylinders to India. Despite the stark visuals of people gasping for breath in the streets due to failure to provide oxygen cylinders, the Union Government denied any such claims, saying that no one had died due to a lack of oxygen. After witnessing the biggest tragedy, COVID-19, it seems nothing has been reformed and no lessons have been learned. Let alone saving lives during times of disease outbreaks, citizens are robbed of their right to a hygienic environment in hospitals. With each incident such as this, it echoes how gravely corrupt India as a country is. It is a testimony to how salaried classes are routinely exploited, but no promises of “Vikas” by PM Modi seem to uplift them.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Uttar Pradesh witnessed the dystopian landscape of a failing administration. It had reached a point of such severity and had been claimed that medical records were refurbished while hundreds of bodies were found floating in the Ganga and bodies barren in the sand. Yogi Adityanath refuted any allegations against his lack of diligence in terms of supplying basic healthcare and operational haywire. Taking into account excessive denial, eulogising oneself, and celebrating defeats through cryptic records, the UP Government’s conceit remains resolute. Despite multiple health schemes, India is at the top when it comes to out-of-pocket expenditure, which continues to drive people into poverty. Are citizens deprived patients or defenceless victims? There is no effort in terms of implementation when it comes to visions and policies that are repeatedly introduced.

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB-PMJAY), the world’s largest healthcare insurance scheme, aims to provide quality health services to eligible patients while reducing out-of-pocket expenses. However, it has been ineffective in achieving its objectives. The underfunded scheme revealed its inefficiency during COVID, when out of the population of 11 crore, only 19 people sought the benefit of treatment under the scheme, India Today stated. With rampant corruption and poor-quality infrastructure, the implementation of the scheme becomes futile. Several findings from research studies have stated that the out-of-pocket cost is higher for those using the insurance scheme.Despite such schemes, access to quality healthcare remains stagnant for a large proportion of the Indian Population. The privatisation of healthcare has become a greater threat to marginalised sections of society as the promises of financial protection from schemes like PMJDY lack substantial evidence. Private doctors, clinics, and hospitals account for roughly 80% of total healthcare spending. According to a WHO report, serious health expenses force more than 55 million people back into poverty each year, affecting 17% of households

On Thursday, July 20th, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the Cancer Unit at Medanta Hospital in Lucknow. He mentioned that a double-engineered government is running various schemes for the treatment of cancer patients or needy individuals. He claimed that there is no shortage of funds to provide for the needy. Additionally, he highlighted that technology could provide solutions as it can replace the shortage of specialised doctors in remote areas. Such far-reaching visions about rural areas stand in contrast with ground realities, considering there is even an absence of proper care for people in Urban hospitals. In a Facebook post by the Samajwadi Party, national President Akhilesh Yadav stated that during the excruciating cold of January, no care was provided for the poor in the streets and no blankets were distributed. He alleged that there was a collapse in the state due to a lack of administrative control.

Yogi Adityanath’s controversial and polarising politics have, in many ways, succeeded in churning out a massive number of Hindu nationals who religiously hold him in high regard. The fundamental basis of voting has changed dramatically since the emergence of a hegemonic religious venture. In 2017, Yogi Adityanath was appointed at the insistence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The CM’s advertisement of ideology to tightly consolidate the Hindus and promulgate a wave of cultural revivalism mixed with promises of welfare has made him the so-called saviour of the Hindus, garnering massive votes. The primary demands of voters have shifted from basic amenities to the idea of a nation with a homogenous identity. The consequences of assigning so much power to leaders to the extent of God-like magnanimity diminish the foundation of democracy. Furthermore, absolutism acts as a shelter to protect domineering leaders from eluding accountability.

While we discuss “sense of accountability”, the presence of a rat in an ICU room emphasises more concern than oddity. We await technological implementation in rural areas, but when will rats stop entering hospitals?