Rats Attack Paralyzed Hospital Patient In India

A paralyzed hospital patient reportedly has been attacked by rats in Jodhpur, India, according to The Times of India. Reports say rats gnawed on the 70-year-old patient's ears, lips and nose, and his family found him injured on Tuesday morning. Hindustan Times reports that the incident occurred overnight while doctors and security staff at the Mathura Das Mathur Hospital slept, as hospital staff go to bed before 11 p.m. and leave patients unattended. The man's ventilator tube was also allegedly found damaged.

Reports from NDTV say government officials have launched an investigation into the incident, and hospital officials admit that rodents have previously caused problems in the government-run hospital. In 2009, an infant at the hospital died after allegedly being attacked by rats shortly after his birth.

In December, a man died after having his penis chewed off by rats at another state-run hospital.

A Wall Street Journal report notes that India spends only 1 percent of its gross domestic product on health care, and that only seven countries spend less.