When will the poignant image of the country's elevator management change?

In the span of a week, the incidents of two patients experiencing tragic deaths at the same hospital in Gazipur have deeply concerned the general public. On May 12th, a patient died after being stuck in the hospital elevator for nearly 45 minutes. Prior to this, on May 4th, a patient in the same hospital died after falling into a gap between two buildings from the 10th floor. In both incidents, the hospital administration has announced the formation of investigation committees. However, these events have painted a terrifying picture of mismanagement within the hospital administration.

If the electricity goes out in a hospital building, why wouldn't there be an immediate alternative arrangement for the elevators to operate? A deputy director of the hospital told journalists that sudden power outages can reveal mechanical faults. What does it mean to see mechanical faults because the power went out? It means that there was no backup of generator or IPS (Instant Power Supply) available for the elevators to operate after the electricity went out. As a result, even though the individuals stuck in the elevator repeatedly called the elevator operator, they couldn't do anything to start the elevator. It is hard to imagine, if there is no backup system for the elevators in a hospital. Responsibility lies with the hospital management, including those who are professionals in the medical field, to ensure that such backup systems are in place.

In most hospitals in the country, separate elevators are provided for doctors. The management of these elevators is usually good, and there are dedicated elevator attendants available around the clock. However, the elevators used by patients are often in a poor condition. It is quite common to see patients or their relatives being pushed aside if they accidentally board the elevator with doctors. Furthermore, the elevator attendants are often busy with the elevators used by doctors, neglecting the ones for patients. They rarely pay attention to the condition of the elevators used by patients, even on a monthly basis. Doctors may indeed have separate elevators, but it does not necessarily mean that the management of these elevators will be better, or that there won't be any backup arrangements for the elevators used by patients and their relatives in case of a power outage!

The inquiry committee constituted by the management of this hospital will certainly not find any negligence or weakness on the part of the management. Therefore, it is advisable to establish a high-level investigation committee from the Health Department, and the issue of the administrators' accountability should also be addressed.

Another patient died on May 4th after falling from the 12th floor to the 10th floor of this hospital. It is observed that there is a significant gap in the wall between the balcony of the Medicine Department on the 12th floor and the adjacent building. There are no precautionary measures in place. Even a slight lapse in attention could lead to someone falling and losing their life. It is clear that the building of this hospital is also flawed. An investigation should be conducted into how the hospital is being operated in such flawed buildings.

In the world of modern technology, "Elevator Management" is extremely important. In many countries around the world, there are buildings with more than 80 or even 100 floors. Instances of elevators getting stuck or any other type of accidents are rarely heard of in such buildings because modern technology is used to operate the elevators. Even when there is a power outage, the elevator moves towards its destination and opens on the next floor. However, in our country, even in a hospital, there is no backup plan for emergency situations regarding elevators!

Not just in Gazipur's hospital, but in most government and private buildings across the country, there is a lack of elevator management. Elevator management is often neglected, leading to dysfunctional elevators. About five years ago, when I went to renew my passport at the passport office in Uttara, I found that the elevator was out of order. After five years, when I went back for renewal, I saw that the same elevator was still dysfunctional. This is the unfortunate reality of elevator management in our country. It is cruical to prioritize elevator management at the highest levels of government, and no building should be allowed to operate without proper elevator management.