Patient dies hours after ceiling fan falls on him in Delhi's GTB hospital

According to the patient's death certificate, reviewed by HT, Akbar died at around 12.16 am, less than three hours after the incident.

A 42-year-old patient admitted to the emergency ward of Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) hospital was injured after a ceiling fan fell on him while he was undergoing treatment on Saturday night. The patient, identified as Md Akbar, died within hours of the incident.

The deceased, MD Akbar, was brought to GTB hospital's emergency department on July 18 by his brother with complaints of hypertension, meningoencephalitis and aspiration pneumonia, according to hospital staff aware of the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.

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The incident occurred at around 9.30 pm on Saturday when a nursing officer was administering treatment to Akbar in the emergency ward 27. During the procedure, a ceiling fan allegedly detached and fell on the patient.

"The fan fell directly onto the patient's bed while treatment was being administered. The nursing officer attending to him also sustained injuries in the incident," said a hospital staff member aware of the developments.

Both the patient and the nursing officer suffered injuries, hospital staff said.

According to the patient's death certificate, reviewed by HT, Akbar died at around 12.16 am, less than three hours after the incident.

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The cause of death has been recorded as hypertension, meningoencephalitis and aspiration pneumonia, on the death certificate.

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Hospital staff, aware of the matter, further informed the hospital that family members of the deceased had gathered at the hospital on Sunday morning, questioning the quality of treatment and raising concerns over the circumstances surrounding the incident.

A response from GTB Hospital is pending.

Ridhima Gupta is a health correspondent with Hindustan Times. She covers Delhi's hospitals, government policies and other health topics. She has a keen interest in covering stories with a particular focus on gender and children’s issues.Read More