The dengue ward where the ceiling fan (the hook circled in red) fell on a patient at Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 25: A patient at Capital Hospital was injured when a ceiling fan fell on him early this morning — an incident that has raised questions over patients’ safety at major hospitals across the state.

The incident took place around 4.15am when Sudarshan Mohapatra, 29, a Khurda resident, was sleeping at the dengue ward of the hospital.

This is the second such case to have been reported in the hospital in the past two months. The incident triggered panic among other patients of the ward.

“My brother shouted as soon as the fan fell on his leg. He suffered injuries,” said Mohapatra’s younger brother, Sarbeswar.

Hospital authorities later had an X-ray done on Sudrashan — which showed there was no internal injury.

Sudarshan, who works in a private company in Tamil Nadu, was admitted to Capital Hospital on November 20 with dengue.

Health secretary P.K. Mohapatra said they had asked the works department to initiate action against the person, who had repaired the fan that fell today.

On September 28, a ceiling fan had fallen on an 86-year-old patient at Capital Hospital. Padmalochan Sahu of Mangalajodi village at Tangi in Khurda district had a close shave when the fan at the male ward fell on his chest.

Medical authorities said that after the incident, the general electrical division was checking fans at the hospital, and so far, inspection of 234 fans had been done.

The state government-run Capital Hospital has more than 600 beds and around 1,000 ceiling fans.

The authorities said the fan, which fell today, was repaired on October 21.

“The incident comes close on the heels of an inter-departmental co-ordination meeting of officials of the general electrical division and the roads and buildings department on November 23. I have intimated the matter to the higher officials and also ordered for an inquiry,” said director of Capital Hospital Sudhir Chandra Mallik.

The incident has also raised questions regarding the patients’ safety at other major government hospitals in the state.

In April, a 40-year-old patient, Trinath Behera, had a close shave when a ceiling fan in plastic surgery ward of MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Burla had fallen on him causing minor injuries.

On August 25, 2012, a woman patient at Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre was injured after a ceiling fan fell on her head. The patient, Runu Bala Behera, 51, from Dhenkanal, was sitting on her bed when the mishap occurred.

On July 26, 2011, another woman was injured after a fan had fallen on her at the paediatric ward of SCB Medical College and Hospital. The woman, Arasi Behera, 30, of Puri, had also sustained head injury in the mishap.