After falling into a hospital duct, Som Devi (23) had to wait for 24 hours before she was rescued by the staff of Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital.

She had fallen into the open shaft last Friday, when she had gone for a check-up. But with the Diwali rush, no one came to her rescue till the doctor on duty heard “faint cries” from the sewer on Saturday morning. The fall broke her forearms and ribs.

“Doctors maintain that she will recover but she has serious infection all over her body,” said Vijay, her husband. She is currently admitted in the hospital’s medicine department.

Stating it was not an attempt to commit suicide, Medical Superintendent Dr Jilay Dar said the patient had actually fallen in a duct.

“A case has been registered and the investigating officer can tell you how she fell. She was unconscious for three days. She is now better,” said Dr Dar.

“Why was the shaft left open and why were there no guards around?” asked a nurse working in the Medicine Department.

“It is highly unlikely that anyone can survive such an ordeal. The hospital administration has been careless and they have tried to keep the matter under wraps for the whole week,” she added.