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3 patients killed, 2 injured as balcony collapses at Jamshedpur’s govt hospital
At least 15 patients were in the medicine ward when the third-floor balcony caved in, bringing down the second-floor ceiling and corridor: Police
Jamshedpur: At least three patients were killed and two others injured on Saturday after the third-floor balcony of the medicine ward collapsed at Jamshedpur’s Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital (MGMMCH) in Jharkhand, police said.
At least 15 patients were in the medicine ward when the third-floor balcony caved in, bringing down the second-floor ceiling and corridor, east Singhbhum deputy commissioner (DC) Ananya Mittal said.
A 30-member team from national disaster response force (NDRF) started the rescue operation around 11 pm on Saturday night. “It took over 10 hours for the NDRF and fire brigade to extract out the dead bodies” an officer said.
Eighty-three- year-old Renuka Devi was admitted to MGMMCH along with her 65-year-old visually impaired son, Srichand Tanti, who was undergoing treatment for stomach ailments. While Renuka Devi was rescued in time, her son could not be saved. His body was later recovered by the NDRF team.
Similarly, 50-year-old Sunil Kumar was receiving treatment in the MGMMCH emergency ward when the balcony collapsed.
Confirming three bodies were recovered from the debris, hospital’s superintendent Dr RK Mandhan said, “The deceased have been identified as David Johnson (76), a resident of straight mile road in Sakchi; Lukas Simon Tirkey (61), a resident of Gadra in Govindpur; and Srichand Tanti (65) of Seraikela. Sunil Kumar (50) Renuka Devi (83) were critically injured. Devi has been shifted to the Tata Main Hospital (TMH).”
The accident occurred around 3 pm on Saturday, shortly after a seminar concluded in the medicine ward hall. “All the doctors had left, and we received information about the collapse of the third floor of the medicine ward around 3.30 pm,” head of the medicine department Dr Balram Jha said.
The medicine ward building, constructed in 1960, had long shown signs of deterioration, with frequent cracks in the walls and ceiling, and plaster falling off over the years.
“The accident of a part of a dilapidated building in Jamshedpur’s MGMMCH was an unfortunate incident. May Marang Buru bless the departed souls peace and strength to the families in this hour of crisis. Health minister Dr Irfan Ansari has gone to Jamshedpur with high officials and have been directed to take appropriate steps and prepare work plan to prevent repeat of such incidents,” Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren wrote on social media.
Announcing ₹5 lakh financial assistance to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 each to the injured, state health minister Dr Irfan Ansari said, “I along with the additional chief secretary of the state health department visited the MGMMCH late last night and reviewed the situation. The NDRF and the district administration are engaged in rescue operation. The DC has been asked to conduct a high level investigation and submit report within a week.”
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DC Mittal said that an inquiry committee has been formed, headed by the additional deputy collector (ADC), and includes the Dhalbhum sub-divisional officer (SDO), engineers from the construction department, and the principal of MGMMCH. “The committee has been directed to submit its report within the next 48 hours,” Mittal said.
Jamshedpur (East) MLA Purnima Sahu Das alleged gross negligence and indifference on the part of the government. “The health minister has visited MGMMCH a couple of weeks ago, didn’t he see the condition of not just medicine department in B Block but the entire hospital buildings in a dilapidated condition?” MLA Das said.
Former Jharkhand CM Champai Soren held the state government responsible for its indifference and lackadaisical attitude. “My condolences to the deceased and the injured. The state government would not do survey of such dilapidated condemned buildings and whitewash mishaps like this one in the MGMMCH today by ordering probes after the accidents. Waiting for the next such mishap to happen...,” Champai wrote on X.
