Fact-check: Viral video of rats in hospital was filmed in India, not Quetta's Civil Hospital
The video was actually recorded in the orthopedic ward of the Government Medical College Gonda in Uttar Pradesh, India
Updated Monday Jun 08 2026
A video circulating on X (Twitter) and YouTube has been shared with claims that it shows rats roaming freely around patients and hospital beds at Civil Hospital Quetta in Balochistan.
This claim is false. The footage was recorded at a government hospital in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Claim
On May 21, 2026, multiple users on X shared a 32-second video allegedly showing rats running through hospital wards at Civil Hospital Quetta while patients rested nearby. One user urged provincial authorities to take notice of the "absolutely scary" footage.
At the time of writing, one of the posts had garnered more than 104,900 views, 952 likes and 621 reposts.
The footage was also shared by other users on X and on YouTube with similar claims.
Fact
The video does not show Civil Hospital Quetta.
A reverse image search found the same footage in an Instagram post published by Indian publication, The Times of India, on January 16, 2026. The outlet identified the video as showing rats inside the orthopedic ward of Government Medical College Gonda in Uttar Pradesh, India. The post can be read here.
Other Indian media outlets, including Times Now, The Indian Express and The Telegraph India, reported on the incident at the time.
Their reports also identified the location as Government Medical College Gonda and add that hospital authorities launched an inquiry after the footage gained attention online. The reports can be read here, here and here.
The reports make no mention of Pakistan or Civil Hospital Quetta.
Verdict: The viral video of rats was falsely linked to the Civil Hospital Quetta.
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