One killed as TB ward portion caves in

By R.K.Radhakrishnan

CHENNAI, AUG. 20. One patient was killed and nine others including two doctors were injured when a portion of the Men's TB ward on the second floor of the Government General Hospital caved in this evening, spreading panic among patients, medicos and para-medical staff.

The deceased was identified as Thirumoorthy (33), a sanitary staff in the ICMR Chetpet, who was admitted in the ward.

Among the nine injured were Thirumoorthy's wife Thilakavathy and brother Govindaraj. Two patients, Narayanaswamy Naidu and Mohan, were admitted with injuries to the Trauma ward.

Two others, Murugesan and Apparswamy, were reported missing. Fire service personnel, who cleared the debris from ward 21 on the first floor, said they could not trace any more persons. Doctors suspect that the `missing' patients could have gone out of the ward before the floor collapsed.

The Health Minister, Mr. Arcot. N. Veeraswamy, who inspected the building, told reporters that part of it was under renovation by the PWD. The patient, who had died, was already in a critical state and was to be shifted to the ICU.

The sanction of medical expenses to the victims will be decided after discussion with the Chief Minister on Monday, he added.

Ward boys from neighbouring wards, who were the first to reach the scene, said that they had to break open the window panes on the unused ward 21 to enter the location of the debris.

Dr. Vinod and Dr. Chidambaram attending on the patient in the ward sustained minor injuries. One of the doctors was checking the BP of Thirumoorthy, who was on artificial respiration, when the floor caved in.

A staff nurse on duty said she had stepped out of the TB ward to bring some medicines around 7.30 p.m and she heard a huge `thud'. When she rushed back, she found a portion of the floor had collapsed. ``Two doctors and two beds had caved in.'' She immediately raised an alarm.

However, more serious damage was averted, as a major portion of the floor, which caved in, fell into ward 21 below. ``The ward and the adjoining wards on the first floor which were being used as ENT wards have remained locked for about a year'', hospital sources said.

Horrified patients, attenders and paramedics ran out of the remaining wards hearing the screams. They were

terror-stricken when they saw the gaping hole and the wails for help of patients, attenders and doctors injured by the debris.

The Dean, who rushed to the hospital, said the patients sustained minor injuries and doctors were attending to them. He said that the first priority was to treat patients. The reasons for the collapse could be ascertained later.

The floor housing the ward is among the oldest set of buildings of the General Hospital. The Madras General Hospital was founded in 1664, rebuilt in 1692, demolished and rebuilt in 1711; removed to the present location in 1753; expanded in 1859, 1874, 1884, 1894 and 1897. The second floor of the old block, where ward 34-H is found, is among the structures which came up during the extensions. The GH was remodelled between 1928 and 1938.

The `old' ward 16, which was re-enumerated Ward 34-H (TB Male, thoracic medicine 1), has a sanctioned bed strength of 15, which was recently increased to 18. Twelve beds were occupied at the time of the disaster.

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