After Fantus Kumar, a man from Patna, died from a bullet injury, his left eye went missing while his body lay in the hospital. The grieving family suspected that someone at the hospital had taken the eye, but doctors attributed the disappearance to rats.
Kumar was rushed to Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) on Thursday after suffering a gunshot wound to his abdomen. He was admitted to the ICU, where he passed away the following night. His family, who stayed by his side, left the hospital around 1 am, and upon returning hours later, they discovered that his left eye was gone.
Kumar’s brother-in-law expressed outrage, saying, “How can they be so negligent? Either someone from the hospital conspired with the people who shot him or the hospital is involved in some business of taking people’s eyes out.”
The hospital’s medical superintendent, Dr. Vinod Kumar Singh, confirmed that an investigation is underway, though he suggested that rats could be responsible for the missing eye. “Fantus Kumar was admitted after a firearm injury, and the bullet was removed. He died at 8:55 pm on Friday. His family stayed with him until 1 am, and they informed us at 5 am that his left eye was missing. We are looking into the matter. An FIR has been filed.”
Dr. Singh acknowledged the shocking nature of the incident but said a post-mortem examination would determine the cause. He added, “The possibility of rats biting off the eye cannot be ignored. We will wait for the post-mortem report. This is not acceptable, and anyone found guilty of negligence will be punished.”
Regarding the family’s accusations that the hospital had taken the eye for a possible corneal transplant, Singh explained, “Taking the eye out for transplant wouldn’t make sense. The eye can only be used if it’s surgically removed within four to six hours of death.”