Rudrapur district hospital lift fails, leaving elderly, pregnant and critical patients to climb the

Patients visiting Rudrapur district hospital faced a difficult climb on Friday after its only lift stopped working. Several important hospital services, including the women’s disease specialist, operation theatre and ICU, are located on the first floor.

People who arrived by wheelchair or stretcher could not use the lift. Their relatives had to carry or pull them up the stairs, adding to the difficulty for patients already requiring medical care.

The disruption was especially difficult for pregnant women, elderly people and patients in serious condition. A patient’s relative said the experience left a woman struggling to breathe while being taken upstairs.

Family forced to take elderly patient upstairs

Rudrapur resident Ashok Kumar brought his mother, Nanda Devi, to the hospital in a wheelchair. Because she was unable to walk and the lift was unavailable, he had to pull her up the stairs to reach the first floor.

Kumar said his mother remained breathless during the climb. He also said the lift failure created serious difficulty because she could not move without assistance.

The breakdown raised concerns about access to essential treatment areas. Patients requiring the ICU or other first-floor services may face delays when they cannot use the hospital’s regular vertical access.

Principal promises repair on Saturday

Dr. C.P. Bhaisoda, principal of the medical college, said the lift failure had been reported to him. He attributed the problem to a technical fault and said instructions had been issued for immediate repairs.

Bhaisoda said the lift would be repaired on Saturday. Until then, patients needing first-floor services remain dependent on the stairs and assistance from their relatives or hospital staff.

The hospital operates with a budget running into crores, and the breakdown prompted questions about the availability of basic facilities. The incident also highlighted the difficulties faced by people with disabilities, pregnant women and older patients when lift access is interrupted.

Conclusion

The immediate issue is the restoration of the district hospital’s only lift. The medical college principal has said repairs are expected on Saturday, which would ease access to the first-floor treatment areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What happened at Rudrapur district hospital?

The hospital’s only lift stopped working on Friday, leaving patients to use the stairs to reach first-floor facilities.

Q. Which services are located on the first floor?

The women’s disease specialist, operation theatre and ICU are located on the first floor.

Q. Who faced the greatest difficulty?

Pregnant women, elderly people and seriously ill patients were among those most affected. Wheelchair and stretcher patients also needed help reaching the upper floor.

Q. Who is Nanda Devi?

Nanda Devi is Ashok Kumar’s elderly mother. He brought her to the hospital in a wheelchair and pulled her upstairs after the lift stopped working.

Q. Why did the lift stop working?

Medical college principal Dr. C.P. Bhaisoda said the breakdown resulted from a technical fault.

Q. When was the lift expected to be repaired?

Bhaisoda said the lift would be repaired on Saturday.