An elderly man had a narrow escape when a technician allegedly left him unattended inside an MRI machine in a Haryana hospital on 23rd September, 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 told reporters that he learnt about the incident through media reports and had sought detailed a report from the director general, health.