Patient injured after jackfruit falls on his head

A patient who arrived for treatment at the Pathanamthitta General Hospital on Wednesday evening sustained injuries after a jackfruit fell on his head, prompting serious questions about safety on hospital premises.

The injured has been identified as N. Gangadharan Nair, a native of Omalloor in the district. The incident occurred while he was waiting near the pharmacy counter to purchase medicines after consulting a doctor. The jackfruit fell from a tree located near the casualty block.

He sustained injuries to his head, knees and elbows. Hospital authorities immediately admitted him for treatment. After taking a CT scan and conducting other examinations, doctors said the injuries were minor.

Hospital authorities stated that an application had already been submitted to the Social Forestry department seeking permission to cut down the jackfruit tree. The hospital Superintendent said patients had been instructed to stay away from the tree and that steps had been taken to prune it. “There are some other trees as well. We have given applications for cutting them. Before that, I had instructed that the jackfruit tree be pruned,” the Superintendent said.

Meanwhile, the incident triggered protests by the Youth Congress on the hospital premises. Alleging negligence and accusing the Health department of adopting double standards, the protesters staged a demonstration under the leadership of Youth Congress State secretary Nahas Pathanamthitta.