NEW DELHI: A 42-year-old patient died nearly three hours after a ceiling fan allegedly fell on him inside the emergency ward of Delhi’s Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, prompting his family to seek an inquiry into the incident.Hospital sources said the fan was repaired by the Public Works Department (PWD) after the incident, according to news agency PTI. They also stated that a male nurse sustained injuries and was provided medical assistance.However, they said further details would be available only after an official report is prepared.Eyewitnesses, however, claimed that the nurse had been injured in a separate incident a few months ago and not during the latest episode.The incident occurred around 9.30 pm on Saturday in Emergency Ward-27, where Mohammad Akbar had been undergoing treatment for the past four to five days, sources said.According to eyewitnesses, the ceiling fan suddenly detached and fell onto Akbar’s bed, striking him in the abdomen. Hospital staff immediately attended to him.Sources said Akbar, who was admitted to the hospital on July 18, was suffering from several serious medical conditions, including hypertension, meningoencephalitis and aspiration pneumonia.He died at around 12.16 am on Sunday, nearly three hours after the incident. According to sources, the death certificate cited his underlying medical conditions as the cause of death.On Sunday morning, Akbar’s family arrived at the hospital and demanded a thorough inquiry, alleging that the incident pointed to serious lapses in maintenance and patient safety.Eyewitnesses and attendants of other patients in the ward alleged that the fan suddenly came loose and fell on Akbar’s bed, leading to his death.Several attendants claimed that many air-conditioners in the ward were either non-functional or missing parts, making ceiling fans the primary source of ventilation despite the humid weather.Family members of patients expressed anger over the incident and raised concerns about the condition of facilities at the government-run hospital. “Is this the kind of treatment patients are getting?” an attendant said.Another attendant alleged that his brother had earlier been administered an incorrect needle, which was later replaced by hospital staff. “First, they put the wrong needle in his hand and then came back and changed it,” he claimed.
