HRC slaps notice on OGH Superintendent

Hyderabad: The State Human Rights Commission issued a notice to the Superintendent of Osmania General Hospital seeking a detailed explanation into the incident where rodents had mutilated the body of a woman in hospital mortuary.

The 21-year-old woman had committed suicide by hanging at her residence at Habeebnagar and her body was kept in the mortuary. The State Human Rights Commission directed the Superintendent to submit the report by December 28.

It may be recalled that rodents allegedly mutilated a woman's body kept in the mortuary of Osmania General Hospital (OGH) here, prompting Health authorities to launch a probe on Wednesday.

"An inquiry has been ordered and show-cause notices were issued to those in charge of the mortuary. We have to know the cause...how it happened," said Director of Medical Education (DME) Dr K Ramesh Reddy. It is suspected that rodents had bitten the nose and some other facial parts of the body, he said.

The woman's family members, during a visit to the mortuary Tuesday, found the body disfigured and complained to the hospital authorities.

"It is a modern mortuary...we have asked the officials concerned to verify how the incident happened as the body was kept in a freezer," he said. Officials have been told to take steps to ensure such incidents don't happen again, he said, adding that the hospital's Superintendent Dr B Nagender is also looking into the matter.