Patient drags himself up the stairs as sole lift of KEM Hospital’s orthopaedic unit shut | Mumbai News

Mumbai: For over two months, the sole lift in KEM Hospital’s orthopaedic building has been out of service owing to repairs, forcing some elderly patients with mobility issues to take the stairs.Hospital authorities said a circular had been issued earlier stating that such patients have to be redirected to the main building’s operational lifts. But in a video that went viral, an elderly patient with a plastered leg was seen dragging himself up the stairs. Hospital dean Harish Pathak said while the patient could walk on his own, the weight of the plaster and his advanced age made that difficult for him. An elderly woman, too, had to be taken up the stairs while seated in a wheelchair.Acknowledging a lapse in protocol, Pathak said, “The deputy municipal commissioner (DMC) (health) has verified the facts and met the patients. The lift has been shut since the end of Aug… These patients should not have been admitted to the orthopaedic building. It is a violation of the circular, and we are issuing a memo to the unit head concerned.”Pathak said repairs had been due since 2023, but since it is the building’s only lift, it could not be taken offline earlier. “The shaft itself needed structural repairs before a new lift could be fitted and that work has now been completed. The new lift was scheduled for installation early next week; the contractor was given 45 days to complete the job. On the DMC’s instructions, we are expediting the process.”BMC officials said they have asked the hospital to submit a factual report on the viral clip within the next 10 days and have asked it to establish a standard operating procedure to prevent such incidents from recurring.