The two elevators at Jhenaidah 250-Bed General Hospital have effectively turned into death traps, with patients and attendants getting stuck inside at least 15 times this month.
The latest incident occurred on 22 December when Elevator No 2 in the hospital’s new building stopped abruptly, trapping several passengers including children, elderly women, patients and attendants for about 15 minutes before the doors were unlocked from outside using a key.
Sixty-five-year-old Rizia Begum, who was among those trapped, said she had never used the elevator before and entered it only because her granddaughter was admitted to the hospital.
“I was suffocating inside and felt like this might be the end of my life,” she said, adding that she would not have entered had she known the elevator would get stuck.
Another harrowing scene unfolded when Saddam Hossain rushed downstairs after learning that the elevator had stopped with his wife and two-year-old child inside.
He said his sister-in-law was admitted to the gynaecology department on the fifth floor and using the stairs was extremely difficult, which was why he allowed his wife and child to use the elevator.
“A person with a weak heart could die just by being trapped in a dark place for 15 minutes, and these hospital elevators are extremely dangerous,” he said.
Saima Yasmin, another woman trapped inside, said her brother-in-law had been admitted to a cabin on the eighth floor and she faced trouble while coming down after delivering food.
“The elevators behave like this frequently, and even after complaining, the authorities do not fix the problem,” she said.
Hospital Superintendent Md Mustafizur Rahman said the hospital has only two elevators, which remain under heavy pressure from morning until late at night due to the large number of patients and attendants.
He said overloading and simultaneous button presses from different floors often cause the elevators to stop, while maintenance falls under the responsibility of the Public Works Department.
“The components used in these elevators are of very low quality, and problems have continued since I joined here,” he said, adding that the situation is particularly risky for gynaecology and orthopaedic patients.
He also said doctors frequently get trapped and complain, and that the operators have not been paid their salaries for several months by the Public Works Department.
Elevator operator Enamul Hossain said three operators work in eight-hour shifts and problems such as stoppages or hanging occur every couple of days.
He said technicians come from Dhaka once a month, and issues arise due to simultaneous commands from different floors, exceeding load capacity and voltage fluctuations.
Jhenaidah Public Works Department Deputy Divisional Engineer Abul Khayer said the patient load in the building requires several more elevators and that higher authorities have already been informed.
He said the department handed over the new hospital building on 31March 2021, and two elevators with a load capacity of 1,200 kilograms each were installed by a company named Global Limited.
