MUMBAI: A 53-year-old accident victim, who was taken to Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivli with serious injuries, died soon after a part of the wall mounted X-ray machine allegedly fell on him. The hospital authority, though certain that the death was not related to the X-ray “collapse”, has ordered an inquiry into the incident. A fortnight back, a hospital technician had to be hospitalized after a slab from the ceiling fell on her.

Sukhdev Seth, a Central Railway employee, met with the accident near his residence on Kasturba Road, Borivli (E) at 6.15am, on his way to work. The father of three got hit by a cyclist before being run over by the rear wheel of a BEST bus. Seth was taken to the Kandivli hospital with injuries to the lower back, thighs and spinal cord. The BEST bus conductor took Seth to the hospital, where he was taken to the X-ray room attached to the casualty.

His brother Uttam alleged that the wall-mounted box-like apparatus, which contains the X-ray film that takes images, slipped down the hydraulic tube and fell on his elder brother. “The technician had taken two X-rays before the machine came down and fell on his hip. He was lying sideways and was already in pain. The box must have hit him and aggravated his injuries,” said Uttam. He added that his brother was rushed back to the casualty, where the doctors declared him dead. The family members added that Seth was unconscious through out the 45 minutes of his ordeal.

The X-ray facility was shut for the day, said hospital insiders. A preliminary check run by the manufacturer of the machine found no fault in the equipment, though they said they will submit a detailed report soon. “The patient was brought into the casualty at 6.15am. He was already critical and had suffered contusions on the back. He was referred for an immediate X-ray,” said Dr Mangesh Budhkar, medical superintendent, adding that the statement of the technician has been recorded. “The technician told us that the machine did slip but it did not touch the patient,” said Budhkar. Seth’s post-mortem report has stated a lung injury as the cause of death.

Newly-renovated but work is shoddy

The recently renovated hospital, rechristened Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Municipal Hospital, has been in the news ever since it was thrown open to people. A fortnight ago, a technician suffered a head injury and required a day’s admission after a portion of the ceiling fell on her. Seconds later, a portion of the air-conditioner duct gave away but the technician was lucky to escape it by a few seconds. Incidentally, Wednesday’s incident happened inside the same X-ray room. The hospital has been renovated at a cost of Rs114 crore. “The civil work is shoddy and staffers work in constant fear that something or the other will collapse,” said a nurse.

