Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission has directed the Bhadrak District Collector to investigate the tragic death of a 55-year-old woman at the District Hospital, which occurred on April 26 when a lift collapsed while she was being transferred to the patient ward.
The rights body has asked the Collector to submit an action-taken report (ATR) within 2 weeks from the date of receipt of this letter.
The NHRC’s order came in response to a petition filed by rights activist Manoj Jena.
Jena claimed that a 55-year-old woman suffering from breathing problems died at Bhadrak District Headquarters Hospital in Bhadrak due to alleged hospital negligence. When no hospital staff were available to shift her to the first-floor patient ward, her daughter-in-law and grandson tried to move her using a stretcher via a lift. However, the stretcher got stuck, and the lift collapsed, resulting in her death on April 24, 2025. The body remained stuck for five hours. The complainant had demanded strict action against the hospital.