10-year-old cancer patient bitten by rat at govt hospital in Jaipur dies
Jaipur (PTI): A 10-year-old boy allegedly bitten by a rat on one of his toes while undergoing treatment for cancer at a government hospital here has died, an official said on Saturday.
While the State Cancer Institute, where the boy was admitted on December 11, said the death was caused by "septicaemia shock and high infection" and not a rat bite, the Rajasthan government has constituted a committee to probe the matter.
Hospital superintendent Dr Sandeep Jasuja said, "The child also had fever and pneumonia. He died due to high infection septicaemia shock on Friday".
Medical education secretary Ambrish Kumar has sought a report from the principal of Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Medical College which is associated with the State Cancer Institute, officials said.
According to a news report published in a vernacular daily shortly after being admitted, the child started crying. When his family members removed the blanket he was lying under, they saw blood oozing from one of his toes due to a rat bite.
The family members alerted the nursing staff present there who bandaged the leg after applying first aid.
Jasuja said that they treated the child as soon as they received the information about the rat bite. He said that directives have been sent to ensure cleanliness in the hospital premises.
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Steel mirrors deployed in Mysuru to discourage public urination
Mysuru (PTI): Fed up with people relieving themselves along roadsides, the Mysuru City Corporation has adopted a unique strategy to curb the practice and promote civic sense by installing reflective steel mirrors along pavements, officials said on Friday.
In what officials described as a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Corporation installed stainless steel sheets with a mirror finish along an 80-metre stretch opposite the Mysuru Suburban Bus Stand.
Officials said the reflective sheets are intended to confront anyone attempting to urinate in public with their own reflection, thereby discouraging the act psychologically.
“The idea is to maintain cleanliness and hygiene, prevent public nuisance, and promote civic sense. It is a simple yet psychological approach that encourages self-awareness through reflection,” officials added.
Soon after the mirrors were installed, videos of the initiative went viral on social media, with many people appreciating the administration’s innovative attempt to address public urination. At the same time, some users pointed out the lack of basic civic sense among people.
Several social media users also suggested that more public toilets, maintained in a hygienic condition, were needed to further discourage open urination.
Explaining how the idea originated, Nitesh Patil, Administrator and Regional Commissioner of the Mysuru City Corporation, told PTI that despite a public toilet being located next to the bus stand, many people continued to urinate in the open.
Even fines and warnings failed to deter them from relieving themselves against vacant compound walls, leaving behind a foul smell.
“One of our engineers came up with this idea, and we decided to implement it. The initiative has received a very positive response from the public, social media, and the press. We are now planning to identify more such locations in the city and install similar reflectors,” he said.
According to him, to ensure that the installation is both effective and visually appealing, LED lighting that switches on along with the streetlights has also been added, causing the stretch to glow at night and enhancing the city’s appearance.
Patil said the initiative had helped create civic awareness while also beautifying the city.
“We want our city to be clean and hygienic. We aspire to become the cleanest city in the country,” he added, recalling that Mysuru secured third place nationally in the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2024–25 last year.
