Fatal incident during radiology procedure raises questions about equipment safety
An 80-year-old man died on the spot after a heavy X-ray machine gave way and fell on him during a radiology examination at a private hospital in the Nawabganj area of Bareilly district, officials said. The deceased was identified as Mishri Lal, a resident of Shahpur village under Nawabganj police station limits.
The family had admitted Mishri Lal to Arya Hospital after he complained of severe abdominal pain. On a doctor’s advice, he was taken to the radiology room for an X-ray on Tuesday, when the machine reportedly collapsed and pinned him underneath, according to relatives and hospital sources.
Hospital staff and the patient’s relatives lifted the equipment, but the elderly man was declared dead at the scene, the family said. The deceased’s daughter, Leelavati, alleged medical negligence, saying hospital staff later shifted her father to the Intensive Care Unit as his condition deteriorated and fled the facility.
“No written complaint has been received from the family so far, and they have declined a post-mortem,”
said Additional Superintendent of Police Mukesh Chandra Mishra, describing the police position after the family took the body away without opting for a post-mortem or immediate legal proceedings.
Protests, political intervention and an out-of-court settlement
Word of the death spread quickly, prompting angry relatives and villagers to stage protests outside the hospital, demanding accountability from the management. Police personnel, led by CO Nilesh Mishra and the Nawabganj SHO, reached the scene to restore order and manage the crowd.
The Nawabganj MLA, identified in reports as MP Arya, visited the hospital and helped mediate between the grieving family and administrators. The situation was later calmed after parties reached an out-of-court settlement, and the family removed the body for last rites without filing an official complaint, the police said.
Immediate facts and procedural status
According to police statements made available after the incident:
- No written complaint or FIR has been lodged by the family as of the latest update.
- The family declined a post-mortem examination and took the body to their native village.
- Police personnel intervened to control protests and facilitate talks that led to an out-of-court settlement between the family and hospital management.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Victim | Mishri Lal, 80, resident of Shahpur village |
| Hospital | Arya Hospital, Nawabganj area, Bareilly district |
| Event | X-ray machine collapsed during scan; victim died at the scene |
| Police response | CO Nilesh Mishra and Nawabganj SHO attended; ASP Mukesh Chandra Mishra commented |
| Legal action | No written complaint or post-mortem; family reached out-of-court settlement |
Wider implications for patient safety in Bareilly
The death underscores concerns about medical equipment maintenance, hospital safety protocols and emergency response inside private healthcare facilities. While the immediate dispute was resolved through a settlement and family decision not to pursue a post-mortem or FIR, officials say the lack of formal complaint may limit legal or regulatory scrutiny.
For residents of Bareilly, the incident highlights the need for clearer enforcement of equipment safety standards in private clinics and hospitals, and for transparent reporting when on-site accidents occur. If the family does later lodge a complaint or the administration initiates an internal inquiry, further details may emerge about maintenance records, staff training and compliance with safety norms.
Police and hospital administrators have so far confined public statements to the facts of the immediate response. Any formal investigation, if initiated, would determine whether criminal negligence or regulatory lapses contributed to the collapse.
Local health authorities may also be expected to seek information from the hospital about equipment certification and inspection history, though no such steps were reported at the time police provided their account.
Residents who witnessed the protests said the mood was one of anger and grief, and called for clearer accountability when fatalities occur inside medical facilities. The family’s decision against a post-mortem leaves several immediate questions unanswered about the sequence of events and the cause of death.
