A patient with a plastered leg struggling to climb stairs and hospital staff carrying an elderly woman in a wheelchair have triggered concerns over patient safety at Mumbai’s King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, where an outpatient department (OPD) lift has reportedly remained out of service for several days.
The incident has drawn criticism from Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader Amey Ghole, who questioned the hospital administration over the delay in repairing the lift and the difficulties faced by patients with limited mobility.
Ghole shared videos on social media showing patients and hospital staff struggling to use the staircases because of the non-functional lift in the hospital’s orthopaedic building.
One of the videos allegedly shows an injured patient with a plastered and bandaged leg carefully climbing the stairs. The visuals have raised concerns that the patient could fall, hit the injured leg or aggravate the existing injury while trying to reach the medical facility.
VIDEOS SHOW PATIENTS, STAFF STRUGGLING ON STAIRS
Another video shared by Ghole shows hospital staff struggling to carry a wheelchair with an elderly woman seated in it up a staircase near the psychiatry department.
A separate visual shows an injured man with a leg cast sitting exhausted on the hospital staircase.
The videos have brought attention to the difficulties faced by senior citizens, persons with disabilities and patients who require assistance to move around the hospital.
“Patients continue to suffer, is the hospital administration asleep?” Ghole wrote in his social media post.
Calling the situation unacceptable, the Shiv Sena leader said the OPD lift was a vital facility for ordinary citizens and economically weaker sections seeking treatment at the public hospital.
“It is absolutely outrageous that the lift in the OPD department of KEM Hospital, a vital lifeline for the common people and the underprivileged in Mumbai, has been out of service for days!” he said.
He also questioned how senior citizens, persons with disabilities and patients suffering from serious illnesses were expected to climb stairs to access medical care.
AMEY GHOLE QUESTIONS DELAY IN LIFT REPAIR TENDER
Ghole also questioned the timing of the hospital’s maintenance process, claiming that a tender for the safety and repair of various lifts at KEM Hospital was issued only on November 6.
He asked why the maintenance issues had not been addressed earlier, given the importance of lifts in a major public healthcare institution that caters to a large number of patients.
The delay, he argued, had left patients struggling to access essential medical facilities.
FOUR DEMANDS MADE TO HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION
The Shiv Sena leader outlined four demands and called for immediate intervention by the hospital authorities.
His demands include:
- Immediate repairs: All non-functional lifts must be repaired without delay and made safe for patient use.
- Public disclosure: A comprehensive report detailing how long the lifts have remained out of service must be made public.
- High-level inquiry: An investigation must be conducted into the roles of maintenance contractors, engineers and officials responsible for lift maintenance.
- Strict action: Those found responsible should face disciplinary action, including suspension, while the contractor concerned should be penalised.
Ghole said accountability must be fixed if negligence is established during the inquiry.
KEM Hospital is one of Mumbai’s major public healthcare institutions and caters to patients from across the city and surrounding regions.
The concerns raised by Ghole have brought the focus back on the maintenance of essential infrastructure at public hospitals, particularly facilities required by patients with limited mobility.
The hospital administration has not yet responded to the allegations. Its clarification on the status of the lifts and the timeline for repairs is awaited.
– Ends
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