GTB fan death incident: Delhi health minister orders probe
Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh directed officials on Monday to constitute a committee to investigate the death of a patient at Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital after a ceiling fan allegedly fell on him.
The minister said strict departmental action would be taken if negligence is found. The direction came a day after a 42-year-old patient died around three hours after a ceiling fan allegedly fell on him inside the hospital's emergency ward, prompting his family to demand an enquiry into the incident.
During a high-level review meeting with senior Health Department officials, the minister learned that a committee headed by the Special Secretary (Health) had been constituted to investigate the incident and was asked to submit its report within three days. According to the Health Department, appropriate and strict departmental action will be taken based on the committee's findings, reiterating that negligence in healthcare services will not be tolerated.
In the Sunday statement, GTB Hospital said the patient died due to his existing medical condition, not because of the ceiling fan incident. It said the patient had been admitted in an unconscious condition with uncontrolled hypertension, stroke or encephalopathy complicated by aspiration pneumonia and respiratory failure.
The hospital also said a preliminary inspection found that the ceiling fan fell after its shaft fractured.
The minister chaired a review meeting to assess the preparedness of Delhi's government healthcare system, particularly during the ongoing monsoon season, and discussed the issue.
During the meeting, Singh directed officials to ensure the uninterrupted availability of essential medicines, diagnostic services and healthcare infrastructure across all Government hospitals.
He instructed hospitals to maintain adequate medicine stocks and ensure essential diagnostic and laboratory services remain available without interruption so that patients receive timely treatment. The minister directed hospitals to remain fully prepared to deal with vector-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria and chikungunya. He asked officials to ensure adequate availability of medicines, testing facilities, consumables and other medical resources to manage any seasonal surge in cases.
He also reviewed vacancies in technical posts within the Health Department. He instructed officials to expedite the recruitment process to strengthen the healthcare workforce and improve service delivery in government hospitals.
Reaffirming the Delhi government's commitment to strengthening public healthcare, Singh said the department was working to improve hospital services, enhance patient care, strengthen disease preparedness and ensure accessible, affordable and quality healthcare for citizens.
The meeting concluded with directions for officials to regularly monitor hospital preparedness and ensure effective implementation of the instructions issued during the review.
