A patient died after being stuck in the lift of Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital in Gazipur for a prolonged period.
Fifty-three-year-old Mumtaz Begum was rescued by firefighters after the relatives who were accompanying the patient called the National Emergency Service number 999, reports Prothom Alo.
Mumtaz, wife of Sharfuddin from Raniganj Barigaon village in Kapasia upazila of Gazipur, was taken to the hospital around 6am on Sunday after she fell ill in the morning.
The victim’s daughter Sharmin Akhter, said, "Initially, my mother was admitted to the Department of Medicine where she underwent some medical tests. She was diagnosed with heart-related issues in the test reports. We were taking her to the cardiology department on the 4th floor from the 11th floor of the hospital. After getting on the elevator, it stopped suddenly in the middle of the 9th floor. At that time, my uncle, brother, and some other relatives were inside. We were suffocating. We called the numbers of the three liftmen in the elevator. They neglected their duties and treated us badly on the phone.”
Sharmin Akhter claims, "We stayed inside for 45 minutes. Seeing no other option, I called 999. The fire service came and rescued us after receiving the call.”
She said, "My mother died due to the negligence of the liftmen. There is no sense of responsibility among them.”
Deputy Director of Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital, Jahangir Alam, said, “Mumtaz Begum was brought to the hospital in the morning with chest pain. Later, she was taken to the lift from the medicine department to the 4th floor. At this time, a mechanical fault occurred in the elevator. The elevator was stuck for a long time. Later, the liftman and fire service personnel came and rescued them.”
He said, “Everyone trapped in the elevator was healthy, but the woman died because of her illness. The matter will be investigated. If there is any negligence, action will be taken.”
