Mumbai, Oct. 10 -- Despite repeated assurances of strict sanitation drives, the rat menace continues to plague the civic-run Cooper Hospital. Right to Information (RTI) activist Chetan Kothari has claimed that, according to police records, at least six patients were bitten by rats at the hospital in the last two months. According to the reply provided to Kothari's RTI query on October 1, the Juhu police station recorded six emergency police reports regarding rodent bites from Cooper Hospital in August and September. The rat infestation persists despite the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issuing notices to the 940-bed hospital's maintenance contractor to tighten monitoring after a patient was bitten by a rat in September, sparking outrage. At the time, the hospital's acting dean, Dr Neelam Andrade, had claimed that the problem was under control. However, the police records suggest that hospital authorities downplayed the severity of the situation, said Kothari. "It is a very sad state of affairs. I was very concerned after seeing the news about the rat infestation and filed this (RTI) application. The administration does not care or does not monitor the hospital enough," he added. Staff at Cooper Hospital confirmed to HT, on the condition of anonymity, that the situation has remained grim despite the BMC's intervention. "The exterminators removed the rodents only for two days, after which they all returned. The exterminators do not come to check on the state of the hospital every day. Except for waste management, nothing else is in order," said a staff member. Hospital staff also claimed that the rodent problem has worsened in recent months due to irregular cleaning and ineffective pest control. Following the September incident, the BMC formed a committee under the dean of Nair Hospital, Dr Shailesh Mohite, to frame guidelines on hospital cleanliness and the appointment of contractual staff and doctors. The committee recommended strict monitoring of contractors and regular reviews. Despite this, the contractor responsible for maintaining cleanliness at Cooper Hospital was not replaced, said Kothari. Only a show-cause notice was issued, and a penalty was imposed. "This is negligence. When patients are getting bitten by rats on their beds, mild penalties are meaningless," he added. Doctors at the hospital also admitted, on condition of anonymity, that rodent sightings inside wards are common, especially during the monsoon when drains and storage spaces overflow. While pest control measures are being carried out, they said the efforts are inadequate. "There are many diseases spread by rat bites. Rat bites going unnoticed by relatives and unconscious patients can prove fatal. It may even cause tetanus if the injection is not taken on time," said a doctor from a BMC-run hospital. When contacted, Dr Mohite said, "We have blacklisted the contractor so they cannot bid for tenders again. These incidents took place before we began our drive at Cooper Hospital. The matter was resolved within four to five days using mousetraps and other methods."...