- By Supratik Das
- Sat, 12 Jul 2025 03:57 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a shocking incident highlighting the crumbling state of public healthcare infrastructure, a large chunk of plaster came crashing down from the ceiling of Medical Ward-II at Khairpur Civil Hospital late last Thursday evening, leaving three in-house patients injured and causing panic among attendants and staff, as reported by The Dawn.
The unexpected collapse, which happened at about 11:30 pm, brought panic as the patients and their relatives scrambled helter-skelter to escape. The eyewitnesses recount that rubble dropped right on some beds, injuring patients who had sought treatment but instead found themselves fighting extra trauma. Their calls for assistance ushered in hospital officials in a hurry. The injured patients, including Maharaj Metlo and Allah Warayo Lashari, were promptly given first aid and transferred to another ward.
Maintenance Claims Raise Eyebrows
When called for comment, Khairpur District Health Officer (DHO) conceded that a "small portion" of the ceiling plaster had indeed collapsed. He said that work on maintenance and repair (M&R) was already underway and that roof repairs were in progress. He also said approximately 50 per cent of the roof of the ward was also damaged during the record rains of 2022, causing cracks and leakage over the years. "Luckily, no causalities on a large scale were reported," he added while speaking to The Dawn, saying an inquiry has been initiated and engineers have been summoned to inspect the damage.
But top government officials stationed at the hospital informed local media that the accident was completely preventable. They were dismayed at what they described as "years of neglect" despite obvious signs of leakage and rusted iron rods exposed due to the collapsed plaster. "It's appalling that the hospital kept admitting and treating patients in this ward despite obvious dangers," senior official said to the Dawn. They also asked if the maintenance funds allocated were effectively used. "There must be an investigative inquiry into how the hospital administration spent the M&R budget in the last three years," the official insisted.
The accident has renewed debate about Pakistan's underperforming health facilities, where patients routinely are subjected to overcrowding, shortages of basic equipment, and now, ceiling collapse. Residents and patients' rights activists have called on the authorities to take speedy action to repair structural weaknesses and ensure that patient safety is not jeopardized in the name of administrative apathy. As a result, the entire Medical Ward-II was evacuated and patients were all moved to a secure part of the hospital. Repair work is expected to begin soon, though locals fear it may be yet another patchwork solution unless transparency and accountability are ensured.
