Who is accountable? Lift Horror at Jammu’s State Cancer Institute: Patients Left Dangling Due to Chronic Power Failures

RC Sharma Chanakya

Jammu, Sept 08: How can the lift at the State Cancer Institute, Jammu Super Specialty Hospital remain non-functional simply due to the unavailability of power? Why is the hospital administration maintaining a disturbing silence on this issue? Who is accountable for such a negligent approach in a critical healthcare facility? Why is the Principal not taking swift action to address this serious lapse? Why isn’t the government initiating a complete overhaul of the hospital’s administration? Why is the concerned minister, Ms. Sakina Itoo, choosing to remain silent on such a grave matter? Who will take responsibility for addressing this urgent concern? These are pressing questions that demand immediate answers from the Minister, Administrative Secretary, and the Principal—because the public deserves an explanation.

A shocking incident has raised serious questions about the functioning and administration of the State Cancer Institute, Jammu Super Specialty Hospital — a facility established exclusively for the treatment of cancer patients. Ironically, while the hospital is supposed to offer cutting-edge care, it fails to provide the most basic necessity: uninterrupted power supply.

For cancer patients and their families, this institution symbolizes hope. But the grim reality suggests otherwise — where power supply is so erratic, it seems more like an occasional guest than a permanent facility.

Harmeet Singh, a local resident, recounted a distressing incident that occurred on Saturday, September 7, around 7:00 PM. Accompanied by his younger brother Ajit Singh, who was unwell and unable to climb stairs, Harmeet visited the hospital to inquire about a relative’s condition. Opting to use the lift due to Ajit’s health, the brothers found themselves in a nightmare scenario.

“The lift started moving up but suddenly got stuck mid-air as the power went out. We were trapped — suspended in the dark, with no help in sight,” Harmeet told.

They waited, hoping power would resume. When it didn’t, panic set in. Their calls for help inside the lift went unheard. After more than 30 agonizing minutes, feeling suffocated and desperate, the brothers began banging on the doors. Their cries eventually drew attention. With great difficulty, bystanders managed to open the lift, but getting out was another ordeal. “We thought we wouldn’t make it,” Harmeet added, visibly shaken.

Disturbed by the incident, this journalist personally visited the State Cancer Institute on Monday to assess the situation. Upon entering the main entrance and inquiring with the security guard, I was stunned to hear that another woman had been trapped in the lift today too. The guard confirmed that power supply issues had rendered the lift practically unusable.

This is no ordinary health centre — it is the State Cancer Institute, overseen by Principal Dr. Ashutosh Gupta, who also head of the department. One would expect higher standards of accountability and maintenance in such a critical institution.

Around 7:25 PM, I spoke directly with Dr. Ashutosh Gupta regarding the matter. Shockingly, his response was vague and dismissive. “I will speak to the mechanic,” he said, sidestepping the larger issue of consistent power failure. For a problem that threatens lives, this casual reply is not just inadequate — it’s alarming.

It is deeply concerning that a hospital catering to critically ill patients lacks a dependable power backup system for its lifts. The absence of basic infrastructure not only undermines patient care but endangers lives.

I urge the concerned Minister Ms Sakina Ittoo to intervene immediately. A full-fledged inquiry must be launched, and accountability fixed. The administration of Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu, must be thoroughly reshuffled to ensure such gross negligence is not repeated.

Cancer patients and their families deserve better — not trauma inside malfunctioning lifts due to careless administration.