India patient dies after ceiling fan falls on him; hospital cites underlying medical conditions

A 42-year-old patient in India died after a ceiling fan allegedly fell on him while he was receiving treatment in a hospital's emergency ward on July 18. 

However, the hospital has disputed the claims and attributed his death to underlying medical conditions.

The deceased, identified as Mohammad Akbar, was being treated in Emergency Ward 27 when a ceiling fan fell on him at about 9.30pm at Delhi's Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, according to local media reports.

Akbar had reportedly been admitted to the hospital that day and was suffering from hypertension, meningoencephalitis and aspiration pneumonia, the police told local media. 

According to eyewitness accounts, the fan suddenly detached from the ceiling and crashed onto the patient's bed. A male nurse attending to him was also injured, reported The Indian Express. 

Another eyewitness, identified as Muhammad Aslam Qureshi, said he saw the ceiling fan fall on the patient, contradicting doctors' claims that it had fallen on a nurse, reported India Today. 

He also alleged that doctors were delayed in attending to the patient and accused the administration of negligence. 

In response to the allegations, a hospital official reportedly confirmed the incident but denied that it caused the patient's death or any serious injury. 

Akbar's death certificate lists the time of death at around 12.16am, less than three hours after the incident, citing his underlying medical conditions as the cause, reported The Indian Express. 

The deceased's family later arrived at the hospital and demanded a thorough inquiry, alleging serious lapses in maintenance and patient safety, according to local media reports. 

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