Jamshedpur: Negligence and poor infrastructure have once again cast a shadow over MGM Medical College and Hospital, the largest government healthcare institution in Kolhan. On Saturday afternoon, tragedy struck when the balconies of two floors of the medicine ward collapsed around 3:30 PM, burying four abandoned patients under the debris.
The incident triggered a frantic rescue operation, with fire department teams working for over an hour and a half to free those trapped beneath the rubble. The situation drew immediate response from top administrative and political figures. SDO Shatabdi Majumdar rushed to the scene and began personally overseeing rescue efforts and the clearing of the collapsed structure.
As of late evening, two of the four patients had been rescued. However, four individuals, including an elderly female patient, have sustained serious injuries in the incident. The extent of their injuries is being assessed, and all have been shifted for emergency treatment.
The collapse, which affected the upper two floors of the hospital’s four-storey medicine ward, created panic throughout the premises. Patients from the gynecology ward on the second floor, many of them mothers with newborns, were shifted outside the hospital building under the open sky due to safety concerns.
The incident has drawn widespread condemnation and raised serious questions about the deteriorating infrastructure and safety standards at MGM Hospital. Both Jamshedpur West MLA Saryu Roy and Jamshedpur East MLA Poornima Das arrived at the hospital soon after the incident to assess the situation and demand accountability from hospital authorities.
Speaking to the media, MLA Saryu Roy expressed shock and concern over the negligence, while MLA Poornima Das called for an immediate audit of the structural integrity of all hospital wards.
The incident also sparked a political firestorm. Former MLA and JMM leader Kunal Sarangi took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to hold the hospital administration and the Health Department accountable. In a post directed at Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari, he wrote: “Minister @IrfanAnsariMLA ji, this is unfortunate and the height of indifference of the hospital administration. If that part was already weak, then why was the patient kept there? Strict action should be taken against the senior officials, not by making some small employees scapegoats and whitewashing them.”
Sarangi’s remarks reflect the growing frustration over the recurring safety lapses at MGM Hospital, which has previously faced criticism for mismanagement, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of emergency preparedness.
Health Minister orders probe
Jamshedpur: Health Minister Dr Irfan Ansari wrote on X, “ Information has been received regarding structural damage to the old B Block building of MGM Hospital, Jamshedpur. Following this, the Deputy Commissioner of East Singhbhum has been directed to initiate immediate relief and rescue operations. The district administration is actively conducting rescue efforts, and the situation is being closely monitored. A detailed review of the incident and necessary safety measures will be undertaken shortly,”.
