The elevator of a private hospital called Sambros in Federal B Area, Karimabad, Karachi malfunctioned, resulting in the death of a young patient who had just given birth.

“Summiya had given birth to a baby girl this morning,” the victim’s uncle, Bilal Saleem, told Aaj News. Summiya Ashar was 27 and worked as a dentist at Darul Sehat Hospital.

According to the police, the patient was being moved from the delivery room on the first floor to the maternity ward on the second floor.

The elevator doors were open on the second floor as Summiya was being wheeled out of the elevator on a stretcher. The lift malfunctioned and suddenly jolted upward.

The staff yanked at the stretcher as the elevator went up, but could only pull it out halfway. Summiya slipped off it as the bottom of the elevator gave way and she fell 20 feet.

The patient sustained head and neck injuries and broken ribs. She was rescued and given emergency treatment but she passed away.

The hospital’s management said that this was a sudden and unfortunate accident and the lift had not experienced any problems in the previous days.

The family informed the police in writing that they don’t want any legal action to be taken.

Sindh Healthcare Commission took notice of the matter and a team visited the hospital.

CEO of the Sindh Healthcare Commission, Dr. Ahson Qavi Siddiqi, said that the elevator malfunction was an accident.

He added that an inquiry committee can only be formed if the family submits a written complaint.

Meanwhile, the hospital sources claimed that the incident happened due to the negligence of the hospital administration.

There was a technical problem in the elevator, sources said. Revealing that the administration did not pay any attention to its maintenance.

Hospital sources said that the elevator, which was installed in 2005, often stopped while moving. It stopped moving thrice in the last two months. The emergency button of the elevator sensor was also faulty.

An elevator expert, who installs and operates elevators in hospitals, told Aaj News that such an incident occurs due to the cable breaking or the clip opening. It can also be due to an electrical problem causing a difference in speed.

The elevators installed in hospitals are in use for 24 hours, therefore it is necessary to have an elevator expert along with the operator in every hospital. Each elevator has a sensor located on top of the elevator, as well as an emergency sensor. In case one sensor fails, the other can be activated but this is possible only when an elevator expert is present.