THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Human Rights Commission has directed the government to pay Rs 5 lakh as compensation to a patient who was trapped inside a lift at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital (MCH) for nearly 42 hours last year.
Commission chairperson Justice Alexander Thomas said the compensation should be paid to Ravindran Nair, a native of Pongummoodu, within two months. The government has also been granted the liberty to recover the amount from those responsible for the lapse, in accordance with law.
The commission has directed to initiate legal action against the company entrusted with servicing the lift if any fault is found.
A compliance report must be submitted to the commission after the compensation is disbursed. The commission also directed the MCH superintendent to provide Ravindran with necessary treatment for the physical and mental trauma he suffered due to the incident, free of cost. If required, the services of a clinical psychologist should also be made available.
According to the order, there is no dispute over the fact that Ravindran was trapped in the malfunctioning lift from 11.15 am on July 13 to 6 am on July 15.
The lift, despite being defective, had not been locked or marked with warning signs. The commission noted that the MCH had failed in its responsibility to ensure the presence of a lift operator at least between 10 am and 5 pm.
An inquiry report revealed that the lift frequently malfunctioned and continued to break down even after repairs, calling for heightened vigilance from the authorities.
The commission viewed the incident as extremely serious, especially in a major government hospital that caters to thousands of patients daily.