Kamala Nehru Gas Relief Hospital, a key medical institution in Bhopal where patients seek treatment and recovery, has recently become a source of further distress due to the deplorable state of its elevator facilities. Patients and their families are facing a double crisis caused by systemic mismanagement, as the entire elevator system has completely collapsed. Most of the hospital’s elevators have been non-functional for a long time. The most concerning issue is that even the elevator reserved for emergencies is currently shut down, which poses a major crisis for critical patients. During the ground report, it was found that the elevator operating buttons are completely damaged. Many elevator doors are either jammed or broken. Furthermore, exposed electrical wires are hanging out from the panels, creating a significant safety hazard. Currently, only one elevator is operational, and its condition is so dilapidated that it poses a risk of malfunction or entrapment at any moment. This disarray is directly affecting patients reaching the hospital for medical care. Patients and their attendants expressed their distress, stating that they arrive at the hospital for treatment, but due to the non-functional elevators, they are forced to climb stairs even in severe medical conditions. Patients who are unable to walk are having to be carried or assisted by relatives to reach the upper floors, which further exacerbates their physical suffering and worsens their health condition.

 

One elderly patient, who had arrived alone for treatment, shared that his struggle with chronic joint pain was severely exacerbated by the facility’s infrastructure. He noted that climbing the stairs was an agonising ordeal that left his condition worse than when he arrived. In a similarly distressing account, an elderly woman explained the impossibility of accessing care for her ailing daughter. She stated that her daughter is too ill to walk on her own, and as an ageing parent, she lacks the physical strength to carry her. The woman raised a pointed question regarding the hospital’s accessibility, asking how families are expected to transport non-ambulatory patients to see a doctor without functional elevators or assistance. The apathy shown by the hospital administration and the lack of basic facilities are proving to be extremely distressing for the patients. If these elevators are not repaired and properly maintained in time, the safety of the patients could be at greater risk, and the possibility of a major accident cannot be ruled out. When contacted for comment, Dr Satyendra S Rajput, CMHO (Gas Relief, Bhopal), stated that the hospital’s administration is fragmented.

 

He clarified that only a few departments at Kamala Nehru Hospital fall under his jurisdiction, while the majority are managed by the Hamidia Hospital administration, and suggested that further inquiries regarding the issue be directed to them. Meanwhile, attempts to reach Dr Suneet Tandon, the Superintendent of Hamidia Hospital, for a response regarding the management of these facilities were unsuccessful, as no response was received.