Overview
- A ceiling fan reportedly detached and fell onto a bed in Emergency Ward 27 on Saturday night, and the patient, Mohammad Akbar, died about three hours later with his death certificate citing hypertension, meningoencephalitis and aspiration pneumonia.
- GTB and the Public Works Department carried out a preliminary inspection that found a fractured fan shaft and replaced the fan, and the hospital says no major external injury was found and the death was due to existing medical conditions.
- Family members and eyewitnesses including an advocate who says he recorded video have disputed the hospital account and demanded a detailed inquiry, while some witnesses also question claims that a nurse was injured in the incident.
- Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh has directed a committee led by the Special Secretary (Health) to report within three days and warned of strict departmental action if negligence is found, and police and hospital inquiries are continuing.
- Coverage has focused attention on broader infrastructure and maintenance gaps at GTB, including non-working air conditioners and a pending plan to remodel the A&E block, which could prompt wider safety checks at government hospitals.