A woman sustained head injuries after cement plaster from the ceiling of a government hospital building collapsed in an area housing infants and children, triggering concerns over infrastructure safety.
Padma, a resident of Mandalavadi near Ponneri in Tirupattur district, had brought her six-month-old grandchild to the government hospital for treatment for fever and cold. During their stay, cement plaster allegedly fell from the upper portion of the building and struck Padma on the head. She suffered serious injuries and required two stitches.
Speaking about the incident, Padma questioned the safety of keeping infants and patients in what she described as an old and poorly maintained building. She said the ceiling structure appeared thin and unsafe and asked how such construction could be allowed in areas meant for vulnerable patients. “If it had fallen on the baby, what would have happened?” she asked, adding that patients could not be expected to assess building safety and that it was the responsibility of hospital authorities to ensure a secure environment.
Padma further alleged that hospital staff downplayed the incident, describing it as an unavoidable accident similar to a road mishap, and advised her not to treat it as a serious issue. She said this response left her distressed and unsure how to seek accountability.
According to Padma, she had noticed signs of the building’s age when she was admitted and feared for the safety of children housed there. She said that at the time of the incident, she was lying down while her daughter and grandchild on the cot nearby, and the plaster fell directly on her head. Her immediate concern, she said, was to check whether the baby was safe.
Calling for urgent action, Padma demanded a thorough inspection of all hospital buildings, particularly those used for children and infants. She said government hospitals are meant to be places of safety and protection and warned that similar incidents could prove fatal if immediate steps are not taken.
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