Punjab asked to conduct urgent rooftop safety audit of public buildings

The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Lahore has called on the Punjab government to conduct an immediate comprehensive security audit of rooftops across all public hospitals, medical colleges, hostels, and other government buildings in the province.

In a formal appeal to the Chief Secretary of Punjab, PMA President Prof Shahid Malik expressed serious concern over the dangerously low height of parapet walls on many institutional rooftops.

He noted that in numerous government facilities, boundary walls on rooftops are barely two feet high — a situation that poses a grave safety risk, as it happened in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, where a student died after falling from the third floor. 

He warned that individuals sitting or standing near such low parapet walls face a significant risk of falling, which could result in serious injuries or loss of life.

According to Prof Malik, the issue demands immediate corrective measures to prevent avoidable tragedies.

The PMA has proposed that the minimum height of rooftop parapet walls in all public buildings be increased to at least four feet, with an additional two-foot sturdy metal grill installed above it to ensure complete safety.

The association emphasized that these standards should be uniformly implemented not only in hospitals and educational institutions but in all government buildings across Punjab.

Professor Malik further pointed out that the urgency of such measures has increased in light of the anticipated Basant festival under the patronage of the Punjab government.

During the festival, large numbers of people gather on rooftops for kite flying and celebrations, significantly increasing the risk of accidental falls.