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Updated: Oct 17, 2019 06:28 IST

Two doctors and three nurses working in Shivpuri district hospital in Madhya Pradesh were suspended for alleged dereliction of duty after ants were found crawling on one of the eyes of a dead patient, district administration officials said on Wednesday.

The action was taken after chief minister Kamal Nath ordered an inquiry and tweeted about it.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia termed the incident as saddening and heart-rending. He spoke with health minister Tulsi Silavat and urged him to ensure that such incidents don’t recur.

According to the district administration, the patient, Balchandra Lodhi, 50, who was suffering from tuberculosis, died on Tuesday; he was admitted to the hospital on Sunday.

Lodhi’s wife, Ramshree Lodhi, said, “I went home on Monday evening. I got information about my husband’s death on Tuesday morning. When I reached the hospital I found ants crawling on my husband’s eye. I removed the ants. The hospital staff should have taken care of my husband’s mortal remains but they didn’t.”

Shivpuri collector Anugraha P said, “An inquiry has been ordered against the civil surgeon P K Khare, duty doctor Dinesh Rajput and three nurses, who have been suspended.”

Chief medical health officer (CMHO), Shivpuri, Dr AL Sharma said, “This is an unfortunate incident. Other patients told us that they informed the duty nurses about ants crawling on the face of deceased but they didn’t listen to them. It is a case of negligence and we won’t allow such dereliction in the duty.”

Earlier, chief minister Kamal Nath in his tweet said, “Such incidents put humanity to shame and can never be tolerated. Carelessness in this incident is an example of utter insensitivity. I have ordered an inquiry and the guilty will be punished.”

AICC general secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia said, “We are all with the bereaved family in this hour of crisis. The incident that took place in Shivpuri district hospital putting humanity to shame is saddening and heart-rending.”

He said, “I spoke with the health minister Tulsi Silavat. I requested him to take a stringent action against the guilty persons to ensure that such incidents don’t recur and that it sends a message to others that such behaviour with anyone can’t be tolerated.”

(With inputs from Ranjeet Gupta in Shivpuri)