New Delhi: HL July 19, 2026
A ceiling fan falling onto a patient inside Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital in East Delhi has sparked questions over maintenance standards at one of the capital’s largest government hospitals. The patient died the following day, leading to conflicting claims from the family and hospital authorities over the cause of death.
The deceased, identified as 44-year-old Mohammad Akbar, was admitted to the hospital on Saturday evening after developing breathing problems. According to family members, Akbar was receiving treatment when a ceiling fan suddenly detached and fell onto his hospital bed.
Relatives alleged that the impact caused injuries to his leg and internal organs, and claimed these injuries contributed to his death on Sunday afternoon. They said there was no visible bleeding but maintained that he suffered serious internal trauma. The family chose not to opt for a post-mortem examination.
An eyewitness said, he witnessed the incident while visiting a relative at the hospital. He claimed the fan fell while it was running and said he immediately alerted hospital staff and recorded the incident on video. He also alleged that some staff members later attempted to intimidate him.
Hospital officials, however, rejected the family’s allegations. GTB Hospital Public Relations Officer Dr. Praveen Kumar said the patient had been admitted with severe respiratory distress and later suffered a brain stroke during treatment. According to the hospital, doctors examined the patient after the fan fell and found no injuries linked to the incident.
The hospital further stated that the Public Works Department (PWD) maintenance team responded immediately, removed the damaged fan and installed a replacement. A preliminary inspection reportedly found that the fan had fallen because its shaft had broken.
The incident has also raised concerns among attendants of other patients, some of whom claimed that several ceiling fans in the hospital appear to be in poor condition. They also referred to an earlier incident in which a portion of the hospital ceiling plaster reportedly fell a few months ago, though no injuries were reported at that time.
The circumstances surrounding the patient’s death remain disputed, with the family attributing it to injuries from the falling fan while hospital authorities maintaining that it resulted from the patient’s underlying medical condition.
