Portion of ceiling falls at Kottayam MCH, woman caregiver injured
The collapse highlights infrastructure concerns at Government Medical College Hospital.
The collapse highlights infrastructure concerns at Government Medical College Hospital.
The collapse highlights infrastructure concerns at Government Medical College Hospital.
Kottayam: In yet another incident linked to ‘system collapse’ at Kottayam Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), a woman caregiver was injured when a large chunk of concrete fell from the ceiling and hit her leg.
The victim, Kochumol (50), of Kalluthara House, Cheepunkal in Kumarakom, was sleeping in the verandah of Ward 3 of the Medicine Block when the plastering collapsed around 5 am on Thursday. She was rushed to the Casualty, and her condition is currently stable, hospital sources said.
Kochumol had been staying at the hospital as a bystander for two patients. While her mother was admitted to the Medicine ICU, her nephew (brother’s son) was undergoing treatment at the Nephrology ICU. She was resting in the corridor connecting both ICUs when the incident occurred. Several other caregivers were also present when the ceiling plaster came crashing down. They said a major tragedy was averted as the hospital authorities quickly resorted to damage control measures. Security staff rushed to the scene and shifted Kochumol to the Casualty, while other employees cleared the weak plaster sections from the ceiling.
The Medicine Block, where the accident took place, was constructed between 1975 and 1978, and is among the oldest buildings in Kottayam Medical College. Thursday’s incident occurred on the ground floor of the three-storey building.
Although maintenance works and repairs have been carried out at several spots, the wooden window frames on the ground floor have decayed due to moisture. Two months ago, a portion of the ceiling plastering had collapsed in the ECG room on the ground floor of the building. Fortunately, no one was injured.
Incidentally, a three-storey washroom block attached to the Medicine Block has already been closed by hospital authorities due to its precarious condition. Official procedures to demolish the block were initiated several months ago, but there has been no progress, reportedly because contractors avoided bidding as the authorities quoted a high amount for the work.