Roof collapse at SMGS hospital, major tragedy averted

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Dec 17: A scrap of the nurses' ward’s roof collapsed in the Gynaecology and children's wing of a government hospital here on Saturday afternoon, raising question mark over the 60-year old building, housing one of the largest children hospital in Jammu region.


Police sources informed that there was no report of any death or injury, but general chaos prevailed in the hospital for many hours as patients and officials visited the spot where the roof collapsed.


Spokesperson from the Shri Maharaja Gulab Singh (SMGS) Hospital informed that the children's ward had been vacated a few days ago for repair work.


Top officials and rescue teams immediately rushed to the spot. The authorities were inquiring to ascertain the reason of the collapse.


SMGS was the first government hospital in Jammu and was inaugurated in May 1940.


Sources said that this incident cannot be put to backburner as thousands of children and patients daily visit the hospital.


“There is need for major repairs in the hospital but no action is being taken make major repairs in the building”, said a official.


Sources said that despite inauguration of new Open Patient Department (OPD) ward in 2008, it has still not been thrown open for the patients.


 “The new ward has been completed in all aspects. It is not working because it lacks needed staff to make it functional. The hospital is already very congested,” official sources said.


The only government-run specialized Gynaecology and Paediatrics hospital in the region - Shri Maharaja Ghulab Singh (SMGS) Hospital - has only one ventilator functional.


Sources revealed that the hospital has only one ventilator as of now and all patients who are required to be put on artificial respiratory support system are shifted to already over-burdened Government Medical College hospital (GMC) Jammu.


They said that about one year back administration had procured an additional ventilator for the new Paediatrics block, but it is also lying non-functional as there are no required doctors and para-medical staff.


Absence of ventilators, the most important requirement of Pediatrics is causing much worry to the patients and their wards. The hospital draws an influx of nearly 1,200 patients in its OPD, besides 50-60 patients are admitted on daily basis in both wards.