Representative image of a hospital.
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A Bihar man undergoing treatment for a bullet wound in a Patna hospital died, but his family's grief was soon replaced by shock when they found his left eye was missing hours after.
His kin alleged that the eye was taken out by the doctors as part of 'business' but the hospital administration said rats are to blame.
Fantush Kumar, the victim, was admitted to Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) -- Patna's second-largest hospital -- on Thursday after sustaining a bullet injury to the abdomen. Though he was admitted to the ICU, he was declared dead the next day. His family remained with him there till Saturday and had only gone away for a few hours when his left eye went missing.
"As the body was being brought from the morgue, we noticed that the left eye was missing and a surgical blade was lying on the stretcher beside the body," a family member said.
The family members alleged negligence and foul play, while some doctors suspected that rats might have gnawed the eye.
Speaking to reporters, NMCH medical superintendent Binod Kumar Singh said, "A medical team has been constituted to probe the matter. It's a serious issue and strict action must be taken against those found guilty."
"A group of doctors suspect that rats might have gnawed the eye. All aspects pertaining to the incident are being probed. We are also waiting for the autopsy report," he said.
"How the eye was gouged out can only be known after receiving the autopsy report. The hospital administration has also lodged a formal complaint with the Alamganj police station in this regard," the medical superintendent said.
Police are examining CCTV footage and have confirmed that the body has been 'tampered with'.
Speaking to PTI on Sunday, Rajiv Kumar, Station House Officer (SHO) of Alamganj police station, said, "A case has been registered on the basis of a formal complaint filed by the hospital administration. We are examining the CCTV footage of the hospital and also sought clarifications from the doctors who performed the post-mortem examination. We are also examining family members of the deceased as well as other hospital staffers. The case is being investigated from all angles."
Family members of the deceased have not lodged any complaint so far.
(With PTI inputs)