MGM Hospital Warangal ceiling collapse injures 5, including a patient
Warangal: In a shocking incident, a portion of the false ceiling collapsed in the Aarogyasri ward of the state-run Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Hospital in Warangal on Sunday morning, injuring a patient undergoing treatment for paralysis, two attendants and two sanitation workers.
According to news reports, the injured included a 55-year-old patient undergoing treatment for paralysis, two attendants aged 50 and 33, all residents of Zaffergadh mandal, and two sanitation workers. Following the incident, the injured were shifted to another ward, where doctors provided medical treatment.
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Hospital staff and security personnel cleared the debris from the affected area and subsequently locked the ward.
MGM Hospital superintendent Dr K. Ramkumar Reddy inspected the ward after being informed about the incident and enquired about the condition of the injured. He said all three had suffered minor injuries and were safe after undergoing medical tests.
“The incident occurred in the old building. A small portion of the ceiling collapsed due to water seepage from the roof. This portion has since been repaired,” he said, reports TNIE.
The incident triggered panic among patients and attendants in the ward and raised concerns over the condition of the hospital's ageing infrastructure.
Sources said portions of plaster had reportedly been peeling off ceilings in some areas of the old hospital building. Patients and attendants also expressed concern about continuing treatment in buildings they alleged were in a dilapidated condition.
Meanwhile, members of the Junior Doctors' Association (JUDA) said the condition of some existing hospital buildings posed risks to patients, doctors, nursing staff, sanitation workers and other personnel.
In a statement, the association called for an immediate and comprehensive inspection of the hospital buildings to identify structurally unsafe areas and undertake necessary repairs and safety measures. They also renewed the demand for the early opening of the upcoming super-speciality hospital. “The continued dependence on the existing hospital buildings had placed an additional burden on the ageing infrastructure and was causing difficulties for patients and healthcare staff,” they added, reports The Hindu.
JUDA urged the government to expedite the remaining work at the new hospital and make it operational at the earliest. The association also sought immediate safety measures at the existing MGM Hospital to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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