A major catastrophe was narrowly averted on Wednesday afternoon at the Government Mother and Child Hospital, locally known as Zanana Hospital, situated in Sujangarh in Rajasthan's Churu district. A large section of heavy plaster along with concrete detached from the decaying porch ceiling at the main entrance and crashed down without warning. A woman walking beneath the structure was struck on the head by the falling debris, an incident that was captured by the hospital's CCTV surveillance system.
Sudden Roof Collapse Triggers Panic; Injured Woman Receives Two Stitches
The accident occurred at approximately 1:18 PM on Wednesday. As the chunk of concrete and plaster hit the floor with a loud thud, panic gripped the patients, attendants, and staff present nearby. Alert security guards and bystanders rushed to assist the injured victim, helping her into the emergency care section where medical personnel initiated prompt first-aid treatment.
According to Dr. Banshidhar, the officer in-charge of the healthcare facility, the injured woman was identified as 25-year-old Kiran Meghwal, a resident of Guleria village in Sujangarh. Kiran, who works at a local pharmacy located near the hospital, had come to the building for some personal errand. As she walked through the porch corridor to exit after finishing her work, the unstable ceiling plaster gave way directly onto her head. The impact caused a severe laceration, requiring attending doctors to administer two stitches. Following primary medical intervention and evaluation, she was safely discharged. For precautionary measures, hospital staff promptly sealed off the main entrance to prevent any further entry into the hazardous area.
Public Works Department Was Alerted About Structural Danger Just One Day Prior
The most alarming factor of the incident lies in the administrative timeline: merely a day before the collapse, on August 4, hospital management had dispatched an official letter to the Public Works Department (PWD) highlighting the building's hazardous condition. Dr. Banshidhar explained that persistent rainy weather in the region had led to severe water seepage across the ceilings, drastically weakening the structural integrity of the main porch and neighboring sections. Despite explicit warnings regarding potential collapse risks, timely maintenance was not initiated by the department, leading directly to Wednesday's accident.
Cracked Ceilings and Deteriorating Wards Imperil Patient Safety
Hospital officials revealed that structural decay is widespread across the facility, extending far beyond the main entrance porch. Ceilings in Room Number 1, the child vaccination ward, and several other functional rooms are heavily deteriorated. Notably, a portion of the ceiling in Room Number 1 had already collapsed on a previous occasion, posing an ongoing hazard to visiting pregnant women, newborn infants, and healthcare personnel. The incident brings critical focus onto the maintenance of public infrastructure and civil engineering oversight in government medical centers.
