Ceiling breakdown at Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital, FAIMA seeks immediate action

New Delhi: Concerns regarding the safety of patients and medical staff have come to question at the multi-specialty centre-run Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital in the capital after a portion of the ceiling recently collapsed with debris lying in the middle of the corridor. Luckily no casualties have been reported.

The incident took place on Sunday morning when the employees were working and suddenly witnessed a portion of the second-floor corridor's ceiling being collapsed. The part of the ceiling that collapsed connects the operation theatre to the lift, and an accident could have occurred if someone had been standing underneath the ceiling.

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Being India's largest hospital that specializes in treating poor children is raising questions about the hazardous infrastructure that could have any time created a tragic incident and resulted in many lives being injured.

As per TOI reports, a doctor nearly escaped death while he was carrying samples to the lab and was passing through the area where the incident happened. LHMC resident doctors' association president Dr Sabyasachi Mandal said "Luckily, there are no reports of any injury. A doctor carrying samples to the lab narrowly escaped while passing through the corridor. We have spoken to the central public works department about it. Our association will meet the director on Monday and discuss with him the hazardous and crumbling infrastructure of the hospital."

Expressing concern towards the patients and the hospital staff's safety, vice-president of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), Dr Rakesh Bagdi talked about the dangerous infrastructure of the hospital that could lead to a tragedy any day and complained about the negligence shown by the government to renovate the building lying in a dilapidated condition. Therefore, he appealed to the government to pay attention to the condition of the building.

Sharing information about the collapse, Dr Rakesh Bagdi tweeted "ceiling breakdown in #Kalawati hospital & Lhmc in the early morning today. Big talks by govt won't help if basic things are not catered could have been anyone doctors, health staff and patients."

Questioning the motive of the government, Dr Rohan Krishnan, a founding member of FAIMA criticised the government for ignoring the condition of the building and demanded immediate action to resolve the issue. Blaming the corrupt system of the government, he said that the hospital which is considered the first designated medical college for females in India is dropping its standards every day.

Urging the media to raise the issue, he informed that the cost of lives will wake up the government when the roof will collapse one day on many pediatric patients adding that everything comes at the cost of casualties. While talking about the collapse, he also raised the issue of the shortage of basic medicines at the hospital and how the patients are suffering since most of them are from poor financial backgrounds visiting the hospital for free medicines.

Taking the matter to Twitter, he posted " This is the condition of one of the largest Children's Hospitals of the Nation at National Capital, LHMC. Who would have been accountable if this would have fallen on some doctors or patients? Basic medicines are not available at LHMC/RML. @DirectorLHMC should take immediate action."

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