60-yr-old patient claims he was stuck inside MRI machine as staff forgot to take him out
Chandigarh, Sep 23: An elderly man had a narrow escape when a technician allegedly left him unattended inside an MRI machine in a Haryana hospital on Monday, forcing him to break its belt to come out.
The 60-year-old told reporters in Panchkula that he went to the civil hospital in the city to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
According to the complainant, the technician said the process could take 10-15 minutes, but forgot to take him out from the machine, a charge the hospital denies.
"I was gasping for breath, but no one was there to take me out," he said. "Finally, after struggling for over half-an-hour, I somehow managed to break the machine belt and came out."
Alleging gross medical negligence, the sexagenarian filed a police complaint demanding strict action as per law against the guilty. He said CCTV footage of the area where the scan took place should be procured from the hospital.
The hospital, however, maintained that the patient was taken out of the machine by the technician. It said the patient was informed that his scan could involve a longer duration, but he "panicked".
A Panchkula police officer said the matter was being investigated.
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij told reporters that he learnt about the incident through media reports and had sought detailed a report from the director general, health.
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Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
