Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 7: Seeking strict accountability after the recent lift tragedy at the Super Speciality Hospital (SSH) Jammu, BJP’s Health Cell co-convenor Dr Varinder Sharma today demanded an impartial probe and a UT-wide safety audit of lifts across public institutions.
Expressing deep anguish over the death of Kanchan Arora, wife of Pankaj Arora, he said the incident was “deeply unfortunate, cruel in nature, and completely avoidable.”
Recounting the sequence, Dr Sharma said that on November 1, the victim entered a lift on the Hospital’s third floor when it suddenly began moving, trapping her inside its mechanism. Although onlookers raised an alarm, it reportedly took nearly 15 minutes for security personnel to rescue her. She was shifted to the ICU in critical condition and battled for life for six days before succumbing to her injuries.
“This family has gone through unimaginable trauma. Such an episode reflects an alarming collapse of safety oversight,” he said, urging the Government to order a time-bound inquiry to establish whether the mishap resulted from technical failure, faulty maintenance or negligence.
Dr Sharma demanded adequate compensation and financial support to the bereaved family, stating that although no amount of money can replace a life, the administration must stand with them in this tragedy.
Pointing to recurring complaints of malfunctioning and unsafe lifts, he sought a comprehensive safety audit of lifts in hospitals, Government offices and public buildings across J&K. The audit, he said, must ensure proper safety certification, routine inspections, strict maintenance schedules and public display of valid certificates so that people know which lifts are safe to use.
Calling the incident a wake-up call, Dr Sharma pressed for fixing responsibility on engineering and maintenance wings, enforcing accountability and implementing systemic reforms to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
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