The incident of rats gnawing at a body kept in the mortuary of Haridwar District Hospital since Friday night has once again brought the health department’s negligence to the forefront. Family members of Jwalapur’s Punjabi Dharamshala manager Lakhan Sharma, also known as Lucky, became enraged on Saturday morning after discovering injury-like marks on his face and eye. A commotion broke out at the scene.
Family members and others have demanded action. According to reports, Lakhan Sharma, who worked as a manager at the Punjabi Dharamshala, died of a sudden cardiac arrest on Friday evening. The family members brought the body to the district hospital mortuary late in the evening for a post-mortem, but due to the delay, the procedure was postponed until the following morning.
Deep wounds on the face, head, and one eye of the body
When the family members arrived at the mortuary on Saturday morning for the post-mortem, they were shocked. The body had deep wounds on the face, head, and one eye. Seeing rats running around, the family members quickly realized that the body had been gnawed by rats during the night.
Upon learning of the incident, Congress leaders rushed to the hospital. They raised slogans against the health department outside the mortuary. Family members alleged that the mortuary’s security and sanitation were in complete disarray, preventing even the bodies from being kept safe.
Even during the commotion, no responsible health department official arrived at the scene for a considerable time, further fueling the anger of family members and Congress workers. They continued to demand action against the culprits, an investigation into the mortuary’s arrangements, and the suspension of the responsible employees
