Uproar as rats roam near beds, oxygen pipes in Gonda Hospital; Opposition raises concern for patient safety

There was uproar over a viral video that surfaced on Wednesday (January 14, 2026) from Gonda Medical College and Hospital, with rats roaming freely in the orthopaedic ward, raising serious questions about hygiene and patient safety.

In the video, a patient is seen asleep on a bed in the ward at Gonda Medical College, with his medication placed on a steel rack beside him and rats climbing a rod next to the bed and attempting to tear open a packet, believed to contain food.

Over a dozen rats can be seen darting from one side of the bed to the other. With the video going viral, the Opposition alleged that the health infrastructure in U.P. is in a shambles due to a lack of check and balance accountability mechanism.

“Incidents like this demand transparent investigation and immediate corrective action. Hospital administrations must be held accountable through robust monitoring mechanisms, and there must be clarity about how such a lapse was allowed to occur. Public healthcare infrastructure requires regular audits, adequate staffing and strict standards of cleanliness. If such conditions are being neglected, the system needs urgent attention and reform. Independent inspections, better funding for sanitation staff, stronger oversight procedures and modern infection-control protocols should be implemented across all major hospitals to ensure this does not happen again,” said Nasser Salim, the Samajwadi Party (SP) spokesperson.

The SP spokesperson added that the people of the State deserve safe, clean, and reliable healthcare facilities. “Ensuring this should be an immediate priority for the administration at every level.” Mr. Salim said.

The Congress party accused the Uttar Pradesh government for lack of regulatory oversight.

“This scene at Gonda Medical College in U.P. is not only shameful but also scary. There are arrangements beyond ribbon cutting, inauguration and photo session. When there is no cleanliness, safety and respect, medical college buildings become mere concrete structures. The reality is that health infrastructure in U.P. is in shambles due to a lack of a check and balance accountability mechanism,” said Shahnawaz Alam, National Secretary, Congress.