Elevator accident: Patient's relative dies at Gazipur's Tajuddin hospital

A tragic incident occurred last night (1 October) at around 11:30pm at the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital in Gazipur where a patient's relative died in an elevator accident. 

In May this year, a patient died after falling from an elevator at the hospital.

The deceased has been identified as Md Jahidul Islam, 40, a resident of Cumilla's Daudkandi. He had been attending to his sick child admitted in the children's ward on the 10th floor of the hospital.

The incident caused outrage among the hospital's patients and their families, with relatives of the deceased and other patients complaining that the hospital lacks proper management. 

They alleged that the hospital has elevator operators, but they are seldom available. The relatives also claimed no one was penalised for the previous accident involving the elevators. 

Relatives and eyewitnesses at the hospital said Jahidul needed to go downstairs from the children's ward on the 10th floor. So he approached the elevator and pressed the call button. The elevator doors opened immediately. 

He stepped into the elevator, but as the elevator had not pulled up, he fell down from the 10th floor. He was seriously injured and rushed to the emergency department where the on-duty doctor declared him dead.

"The elevator was faulty for several days, yet there was no warning sign or elevator operator present," said an attendant named Akash, who was on the bed next to Jahidul's son at the children's ward. 

Ayub Hossain, a member of the Ansar on duty at the hospital, said, "We came here after hearing the news. He [Jahidul] was found in a bloody state on the ground floor of the elevator. 

"Everyone should have been warned about the elevator's issues beforehand," Ayub added. 

Dr Manjur Morshed, a doctor in the emergency department of the hospital, said, "We heard that someone had fallen in the elevator. Later, the body was then sent to the morgue."

Contacted, Dr Amirul Islam, the hospital's director, said, "A four-member investigation committee has been formed after the incident." 

The committee, chaired by the executive engineer (civil) of the Public Works Department, includes representatives from the fire service, the executive engineer (electrical) of the Public Works Department, and the assistant director of the hospital, he added.

"The committee has been asked to submit a report by today [2 October]. Action will be taken if negligence is found based on the report," he added. 

On 3 May this year, a patient named Momtaz Begum died after falling from the 12th floor. 

An investigation committee was also formed for that incident, but the hospital authorities later did not take any action against anyone, and the investigation report was not published.