A man was seriously injured after reportedly opening a lift door and jumping into the empty shaft area at Purulia Medical College’s Sadar campus in West Bengal on Sunday, prompting police investigation and renewed questions about safety controls around hospital lifts.
The man was rescued by police and fire services personnel and admitted to Purulia Medical College in a serious condition, according to a report by Anandabazar. The report said the incident occurred near a lift at the hospital, where security personnel responded after hearing a loud noise.
Hospital sources identified the injured man as a resident of the Arsha police station area of Purulia. His wife had given birth to a girl at the medical college three days earlier and was still receiving care at the hospital, the report said.
Family members and a hospital source reportedly told the publication that the man had appeared distressed after the birth and had previously attempted to harm himself. Police are also examining whether he was intoxicated at the time of Sunday’s incident. Authorities are investigating whether the birth of the child was connected to the incident or whether other factors were involved.
The account has also raised questions about the condition and operation of the lift. Purulia Medical College’s medical superintendent and vice-principal, Sukamal Bishai, was quoted as saying that he had received information that the man had broken through the lift gate and jumped. Bishai said the man appeared to have a mental health problem, while adding that the remaining details were being investigated.
The incident places hospital lift safety within a wider operational context. Lifts in medical facilities are used by patients, attendants, staff and emergency teams, often under crowded and pressured conditions. Effective safeguards depend on functioning doors, controlled access to lift shafts, routine maintenance and prompt supervision when a gate or mechanism fails. The supplied report does not establish whether any equipment fault, maintenance lapse or security failure caused the incident.
Police and hospital authorities are continuing to examine the circumstances, including the man’s condition, the lift gate and the events leading up to the incident. No further findings were available in the supplied report.
