Mumbai: Cooper Hospital Dean Orders Pest Control After Rat Menace; Video

Mumbai: A shocking video from the female general ward of HBT Medical College and Dr. R. N. Cooper Municipal General Hospital in Juhu, Vile Parle, surfaced on Tuesday showing rats inside the ward. The footage, recorded by a patient around two days ago and later shared with hospital staff and relatives, captures at least two rats moving around the ward, including one crawling on the bed of a woman who was asleep.

Patients Raise Safety Concerns Over Rodent Menace

The hospital administration has been directed for a large-scale pest control.

Shocking video from Cooper Hospital’s female ward shows rats crawling on a patient’s bed. Patients allege infestation is common at night. Hospital Administration orders urgent pest control, tender for large-scale drive to be floated. @mybmc #Mumbai #CooperHospital pic.twitter.com/atY11v0T1P

— Amit Srivastava (@s_amit007) September 2, 2025

Patients admitted in the ward said rats are most visible at night when there is less human movement, raising serious safety concerns. “I have noticed multiple rats during the night, mostly moving on the floor, probably looking for food,” said one patient, requesting anonymity. Others also reported similar issues, blaming unhygienic conditions for the infestation.

Hospital Authorities Order Large-Scale Pest Control

The incident has reignited concerns about rodent menace in civic hospitals. In 2017, two elderly women at Kandivali’s Shatabdi Hospital were bitten by rats while under treatment, prompting the State Human Rights Commission to order compensation. More disturbingly, in January 2024, the face of a deceased patient at the same hospital was disfigured by rats while awaiting post-mortem, leading to a Rs 5 lakh compensation order. Despite repeated assurances from the BMC, patients say hospitals continue to struggle with rodent infestations, putting lives and dignity at risk.

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HBT Medical College and Dr. R. N. Cooper Municipal General Hospital in Juhu, Mumbai, is a 636-bedded secondary care municipal hospital that also functions as a teaching hospital. It provides a wide range of treatments and medical services across general and specialized departments. The hospital has over 2000 patients in the out-patient department (OPD) per day. 

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Dr. Neelam Andrade, Director of BMC Hospitals and acting dean of Cooper Hospital, termed the incident serious. “I have instructed the medical superintendent and staff to carry out immediate pest control with ward authorities and to initiate a tender for large-scale pest control,” she said.