Lifts at public hospitals: Where Horror Abounds

Shipon Mia (not his real name) fears for his life throughout the hours he works as a liftman at a building of Sir Salimullah Medical College, commonly known as Mitford hospital, in the capital.

The man, in his late 20s, does not know when the lift was set up. The hospital authorities too could not say anything.

The lift, with a collapsible gate, has five buttons with no floor numberings on them. Shipon, who joined the hospital a year ago, has to press and hold a button whenever it goes up or comes down.

"Getting stuck is normal here. But what scares me is that the lift gets electrified and someone can get shocked if they touch it at that time. Sometimes the lift stops abruptly and takes at least 10 minutes to restart," he said.

Notices are displayed inside and outside the lift, cautioning people not to use it without an operator present.

Only patients using trolleys and wheelchairs along with three other people, including the liftman, can use the lift at a time.

Several accidents took place in the past years, and a female patient died while being stuck in the lift on March 23, 2014.

"I work while constantly scared that I might die," Shipon said.

Fazlul Haq, a food staffer at Mitford, said a tragic accident that resulted in the death of a colleague has left him traumatised.

"On June 3, 2021, my colleague Sumon and I were going from floor to floor to distribute food to the patients. We had gotten on the lift to go to the second floor. In the absence of the operator, Sumon pressed a button. The moment he touched it, he got electrocuted and died on the spot.

"I haven't been able to use the lift since then."

Not only at Mitford, but lifts at many government hospitals in the capital have become risky to use as incidents like patients and attendants getting stuck inside are rampant. Many of the lifts are overused and carry more than their capacity.

The Daily Star visited 13 major state-run hospitals in the capital and found that complaints of lifts malfunctioning are common. Some of them make loud noises at times, some get stuck or have doors that malfunction, remaining either permanently open or failing to reopen once closed.

The issue of lifts in dilapidated conditions came to the fore after a heart patient died while being stuck in a lift at Shaheed Tajuddin Medical College in Gazipur on May 12.

The incident prompted the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to issue a five-point directive, which includes ensuring uninterrupted power supply in all healthcare facilities, checking the presence of lift operators and reassessing their qualification, inspecting lift's safety system, and sending a letter to the Power Board of Bangladesh to inspect all lifts of all healthcare facilities.

However, the scenario at the city hospitals remains unsatisfactory.

The National Institute of Cancer Research & Hospital in Mohakhali has eight lifts in its two buildings. All of them malfunction frequently.

"The lift condition is so bad that anyone can easily open the door using their hands, which poses a risk of accidents," said Aminul Islam, a lift operator.

He described the lift failures as a daily occurrence due to overheating caused by overuse.

The authorities keep three lifts of a seven-storey building closed from 2:00pm for what they claimed was a lack of users, further limiting accessibility for patients and staffers.

A tragic incident on September 17, 2022, underscored the dangers posed by these lifts, as a 60-year-old cancer patient fell to her death from the ninth floor through a lift shaft.

Meanwhile in Dhaka Medical College Hospital, at least seven lifts remain consistently overloaded with patients and their relatives, posing serious risks to the safety of those relying on them to move around the hospital.

Shakil Mahmud, a lift operator at DMCH, said each lift operates under high pressure from the sheer number of users.

"Sometimes, it gets so crowded that we have to force people to get off. But most of the time people stay back, ignoring the risks."

Due to the heavy usage, the hospital authorities close the operation of each lift for four hours by rotation.

Samad Azad, deputy assistant engineer of PWD at DMCH, said the lifts are malfunctioning frequently due to overload.

During a recent night-time visit to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), this correspondent found no liftman. As a result, many of the patients were using lifts without knowing how to.

"I don't know how to use the lift, which makes it very difficult for me..." said a patient at NITOR, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Another patient named Alal Uddin expressed his fear of using the lift without an operator.

"I am very afraid to enter the lift as there are no operators here. This is the first time I am using it, which makes it scarier for me."

Nurjahan Begum, a staffer at BSMMU's block-C, told The Daily Star, "I was never afraid to use lifts. But ten years ago, an accident prompted me to be more cautious while using it.

"Ten years ago, a nurse was going from the ground floor to an upper floor. Suddenly, the lift malfunctioned and stopped. The nurse was frightened. The lift then rapidly descended to the ground floor, causing the people inside to panic. When hit the ground floor, the nurse's leg was severely injured," she said, adding that the accident could have been more severe.

"Since then, I have been afraid to use the lift. I only use it when absolutely necessary, like when I am accompanying a patient."

The situation at other major hospitals, including Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, and the National Institute of Neuro Sciences & Hospital, mirrors this grim reality.

Frequent lift problems and the absence of operators after evening hours force patients to operate these dangerous lifts on their own.

On March 31, Health Minister Dr Samanta Lal Sen got stuck in an elevator at the National Institute of Neurosciences & Hospital.

The investigation committee yesterday found negligence in elevator maintenance and a lack of operator training related to the incident.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Moinul Ahsan, director of hospitals at DGHS, said that 24-hour lift usage in some hospitals sometimes leads to problems.

"The lift is meant for patients only, but unnecessary use by others can lead to such accidents. Sometimes the lift gets overloaded due to too many people. This should be avoided."

He said that DGHS took the decision to issue the directives at an emergency meeting, with the participation of the heads of all government healthcare institutions across the country, regarding the overall management of the hospital, including emergency services, lifts and service management.