Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Wednesday ordered an inquiry after ants were found crawling over the eyes of a dead man at a government-run hospital in Shivpuri district, NDTV reported. Five doctors, including a surgeon, have been suspended.

“It is highly insensitive that the ants were crawling on the dead patient at a district hospital in Shivpuri,” the chief minister tweeted. “Such incidents are a shame for humanity and cannot be tolerated. I have ordered an inquiry and strict action will be taken against those found guilty.”

The patient was identified as 50-year-old Balchandra Lodhi. He suffered from tuberculosis, and was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday morning. Lodhi died five hours after being admitted. Patients in the ward alerted the staff about it but they allegedly did not remove the body. Balchandra Lodhi’s wife Ramshri Lodhi reportedly removed the ants from his body.

Congress leaders alleged that the doctors had declared Lodhi dead without any examination.

Senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said the incident “puts humanity to shame”, and called it heartwrenching. “I have spoken to Health Minister Tulsi Silawat, and asked that those guilty should be strongly punished so that such cases don’t recur,” he added.

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