SNCU ceiling collapse injures four mothers at Bhind Hospital

Bhopal: Panic gripped the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) at the District Hospital in Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday after a portion of the false ceiling suddenly collapsed inside the breastfeeding room, injuring four women and a female staff member.

The incident occurred while several mothers were breastfeeding their newborns admitted to the SNCU for treatment of various health complications. According to hospital officials, debris from the ceiling suddenly crashed near the beds.

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Speaking to TNIE, the on-duty child specialist at the SNCU said, “There was a sudden loud noise in the breastfeeding room, where 7-8 mothers were breastfeeding their infant children, recuperating from health problems that had existed since birth. The mothers managed to save their children by bending over them."

The doctor added that three to four women sustained injuries during the collapse, along with a female staff member. All injured individuals were immediately shifted to the trauma centre for medical treatment. 

Senior doctors at the Bhind District Hospital confirmed that two women suffered head injuries and remain under medical supervision. Fortunately, none of the newborns admitted to the SNCU was harmed.

Administrative and police officials arrived at the scene upon receiving information about the incident. SDM Akhilesh Sharma, CSP Niranjan Singh Rajput, Kotwali TI Mukesh Shakya, and Rural TI Shiv Pratap Singh Rajawat arrived at the hospital and assessed the situation. Officials have sealed the mother ward for security reasons. “The SNCU building is old. The plaster broke, and the false ceiling collapsed. Both women were injured, but all the newborns are safe. The ward has been sealed, and an investigation has been initiated,” Akhilesh Sharma reports Jagran.

Following the collapse, hospital authorities shifted all infants receiving treatment at the SNCU to another safer facility.

While the senior doctors at the Bhind District Hospital stated that the responsibility for the incident will be fixed following a thorough probe, relatives of patients accused the hospital administration of negligence. They alleged that patients and newborns were being kept in an old and unsafe building despite its poor condition, reports TNIE.

The incident has sparked serious concerns over the condition of the Bhind District Hospital building, which officials say is nearly 80 to 90 years old. Several sections of the structure are reportedly in a dilapidated condition. According to sources, incidents involving falling plaster and damaged ceilings had been reported earlier as well. However, no major renovation or repair work was undertaken.

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