Mumbai: 1-month-old baby has narrow escape as maternity ward ceiling crumbles

Aalina Shaikh

It appears that an incident like this was waiting to happen, given the condition in which the Vitthal Sayana Civil Hospital is functioning. On Tuesday, when the Gynaecology ward had 19 patients along with their babies, a piece of plaster from the ceiling came crashing down.

Though no one was injured in the incident, a report prepared by Thane Municipal Corporation's disaster management department says that the remaining part of the ceiling was in a precarious condition. Hospital sources said that all the patients have been shifted to a different ward.

The damaged portion of the ceiling

Sources said that a part of the plaster had landed on the hand of a one-month-old child, Aalina Shaikh, who was admitted to the hospital for treatment of fever and cold. Speaking to mid-day, her father Dilshad Shaikh, said, "I was standing outside the ward when suddenly people started shouting. A small part of the plaster had landed on my baby's hand. Doctors immediately reached the spot and shifted the patients to a different ward. The service is pathetic at the hospital and even the interiors are extremely dirty."

When contacted, Dr Kailash Pawar, surgeon, said, "No patient has suffered injuries in the incident. All of them have been shifted to a different ward. Soon, the premises will be inspected."

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