Home / Health / Hospital ceiling collapses; emergency services rerouted
Hospital ceiling collapses; emergency services rerouted
20 Sep
Summary
- False ceiling collapse in emergency ward forces rerouting of services.
- Outsourced housekeeping staff strike over unpaid dues and pension deductions.
- Health minister expresses displeasure over hospital's lapses and infrastructure concerns.
False ceiling repairs are underway at Govt Doon Medical College and Hospital, three days after a section collapsed in the emergency ward. This incident, which occurred recently, has necessitated the rerouting of emergency services to the old ward, which remains sealed. The hospital also faced a disruption on Saturday when approximately 65 outsourced housekeeping staff initiated a strike due to unpaid dues and pension deductions.
These combined issues prompted health minister Subodh Uniyal to voice his dissatisfaction with the hospital's shortcomings. Following the minister's intervention, repair work on the ceiling commenced, with officials citing seepage from an above-floor washroom as the cause. A resident doctor highlighted that such infrastructure failures underscore the challenging conditions faced by medical staff, noting that these concerns are often overshadowed by issues like working hours and stipend fairness. This is not the first ceiling collapse in the emergency ward; a similar incident occurred in 2023.
Regarding the housekeeping staff strike, hospital authorities stated it was an internal dispute between the workers and their agency. New employees have reportedly replaced the striking staff, and housekeeping services are continuing.
