Noida: Chunks of plaster came loose from the ceiling and landed on a patient’s bed in the emergency ICU ward at Child PGI on Wednesday evening. Fortunately, the 18-month-old patient had clambered off the bed minutes before that and was playing on the floor. Her father, who had decided to get a bit of rest on the bed, was injured.The girl was admitted to the hospital’s emergency ICU with high fever on June 30. Seventeen other patients were also in the ward on the ground floor at the time. An adjacent ward on the same floor accommodates seven other patients.A video of the incident, which has since surfaced on social media, showed large chunks of concrete and plaster strewn across the patient’s bed and the floor, highlighting the extent of damage at the ward. The hospital has been facing seepage problems for years but has seen no redress.“The plaster slab, which left a five-foot cavity on the ceiling, came off around evening and crashed on bed number 15 that sits next to a wall. Debris landed on the shoulder of the child’s father. But it could have been much worse had the child been on the bed. The child was later shifted to another ward on another floor as a precaution,” a hospital staffer, who was on duty at the ward at the time, told TOI.The injuries weren’t serious, but the incident rang alarm bells on patients’ safety at the 240-bed state-run facility.During a visit on Thursday, TOI found several sections of the hospital functioning in a perilous state. Ceiling plaster or false ceilings had peeled off or fallen away in multiple areas, exposing overhead AC cables. Some wards showed deep cracks, water seepage and missing ceiling panels. “It is a constant threat, not only for patients but also for doctors, nurses and other staff. We have flagged the issue several times, but no repair work has been carried out,” another staffer said.According to hospital data, the institute has a workforce of more than 100 doctors and over 70 nursing personnel. Its OPD caters to nearly 200 critically ill children daily, with over 100 patients in IPD.Staff members pointed to a cracked section above bed number 18 in the emergency ICU ward, which they feared could collapse at any time. The patient occupying that bed was shifted elsewhere in the ward. “Shifting patients is extremely difficult on most days because many are on saline drips or connected to multiple medical devices. Every time there’s a risk, all the equipment has to be moved along with the patient. This is not how a hospital should function,” said a staff nurse.On the first floor, which houses the neonatal ICU, dialysis unit, library and OPD services, multiple sections showed severe deterioration. In the corridor to the right of the OPD, portions of the ceiling were cracked and peeling, with chunks having already fallen off in several places — some directly above benches used by patients and attendants. The ceiling outside the first-floor washroom was also found broken.Kanchan, who was accompanying a relative also admitted to the emergency ICU, said the condition of the building made her fear whether they made the right decision in bringing the child to the hospital. “It is scary even to rest in the waiting areas. What if a part of the ceiling falls on someone’s head while they are sleeping? We have come here to seek treatment, not to put ourselves in danger,” she said.Hospital authorities acknowledged the damage and said the matter had been referred to the civil engineering team for inspection. “The plaster has fallen off, probably due to leakage or some other reason. The civil team has been asked to inspect the area. Necessary action will be taken after the assessment,” Child PGI director AK Singh said.The facility became operational after its inauguration in 2013. In the years since, the building has shown significant wear and damage, with major repairs reportedly pending since 2021.In July 2024, a portion of the false ceiling in the neonatal ICU visiting room collapsed. Days later, water began seeping from the ceiling, filling the room with stench. Singh said at the time that the hospital’s sewage water is routed to the sub-basement and then pumped back up to the ground floor. “There is a lot of leakage, and sewage water seeps through. This is why the walls, the roof, everything is falling,” he said.UP’s principal secretary (health) served a notice to the Child PGI director in 2024, observing that the hospital’s crumbling infrastructure had become a safety hazard for patients and healthcare workers alike, and noting that repair and maintenance work had not been carried out despite repeated directions from the health department.The institute is governed by a governing body chaired by the chief secretary, with the state’s principal secretary (health) serving as vice-chairman. The institute’s director serves as member secretary and oversees its day-to-day administration.
