A horrific video recorded inside the Sick Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Government District Hospital in Satna, Madhya Pradesh, has triggered massive public outrage.
The footage, which went viral on 20 December 2025, shows rats scurrying over Wi-Fi routers, computer monitors, and medical desks in a high-risk ward housing vulnerable infants.
While Civil Surgeon Dr Amar Singh told NDTV that the situation is “exaggerated” due to the hospital’s aging structure, the visuals suggest that staff consuming food within the sterile zone has attracted rodents.
This incident follows a tragic history in the state, including the deaths of two infants from rat bites in Indore earlier this year.
Madhya Pradesh Hospital Under Fire
The sight of rodents in the Satna SNCU is not merely a one-off hygiene lapse but part of a systemic decay within Madhya Pradesh’s public health infrastructure. Just days prior to this leak, similar footage emerged from Jabalpur’s Victoria Hospital, showing rats roaming orthopedic wards.
For many residents, these visuals bring back the trauma of the Indore rat-bite tragedy from September 2025, where two newborns lost their lives to infections after being bitten in a government ICU.
Despite multiple High Court interventions and promises of reform, the “rat menace” continues to haunt the state’s most critical medical facilities, leaving parents in a constant state of fear.
Video of Satna Hospital
The viral video offers a stomach-churning glimpse into the conditions at the Satna facility. In one particular clip, a large rat is seen emerging from behind a computer monitor with a “pakoda” in its mouth, crawling directly over a Wi-Fi router before disappearing.
Moments later, two more rats are filmed chasing each other across the unit’s workstation. Sources indicate that hospital staff frequently violate safety protocols by ordering and eating snacks like fried pakodas inside the SNCU office.
This lack of discipline creates a food source for pests in an area that requires absolute sterility to protect infants who are often battling life-threatening conditions.
Official Response
Responding to the backlash, Civil Surgeon Dr Amar Singh admitted that the presence of rats poses a risk but maintained that “there is no terror of rats” in the hospital. “We accept that rats pose a risk, and we are taking steps to address it,” he told NDTV.
He attributed the incident to the fact that the building, constructed in 2009, is old and has various holes through which pests enter. “We have arrangements to deal with mosquitoes and rats, and all preventive measures are in place,” he stated, adding that the hospital is actively searching for entry points to seal.
However, critics argue that blaming an “old building” is a standard administrative excuse to avoid accountability for the failure of regular pest control and basic cleanliness.
Public Outrage
The Satna incident has led to calls for a high-level probe into the hospital’s management. Activists pointed out that the SNCU was designed to be a sterile environment with separate sections for inborn and outborn babies, yet it has become a playground for rodents.
The recurring nature of such incidents in Madhya Pradesh has prompted the High Court to previously label similar cases as “gross negligence.”
As the video continues to circulate, citizens are demanding more than just “fresh instructions” from the CMHO; they are calling for the suspension of officials who allow such life-threatening conditions to persist in the state’s healthcare “sanctuaries.”
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At The Logical Indian, we believe that the sight of a rat carrying a snack over a newborn’s life-support equipment is a symbol of a dying public conscience.
It is utterly disgraceful that in 2025, the “old building” excuse is still used to justify why infants are at risk of being bitten or infected by rodents in a government hospital.
A sterile unit is a promise of safety, not a breeding ground for pests. We advocate for a zero-tolerance policy toward hygiene lapses in SNCUs and demand that administrators be held criminally liable for such negligence.
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