A three-member inquiry committee constituted by the Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital superintendent to enquire into the alleged rat-bite death of a newborn at the hospital has prima facie ruled out the allegation made by the baby’s father. The panel said the baby died of septicaemia (blood infection).

The panel comprised Dr Vijay Shankar Prasad (HOD surgery), Dr KK Singh (HOD medicine) and Dr Baleshwar Sagar (deputy superintendent of the hospital).

According to reliable sources, the committee, in its report submitted to the superintendent on Wednesday evening, said no evidence was found of a rat having bitten the newborn. Also the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) was found to be free of any rat or mouse.

Also, the committee said rats are not poisonous enough to kill a person or a baby. No such case was reported in the past at the hospital. The committee also asked in its report why no rats did not bite other babies admitted in the unit at the same time. However, the committee is treating its report as preliminary, as the baby’s post-mortem report is still not available. The post-mortem report will throw light on the cause of death.

Yet another committee constituted by the district administration to enquiry into the matter had not reached the hospital’s paediatric ward till 3pm on Thursday. This committee consists of DDC, SDO sadar, SDPO Sadar and the Darbhanga civil surgeon.

The 9-day-old baby died in the paediatric department of DMCH on Tuesday morning. His father Phiran Chaupal, a resident of Madhubani district, alleged that the baby was killed because of a rat bite. But doctors and the hospital administration denied the same, saying the baby was in critical condition, suffering from septicaemia (blood infection), when it arrived.