A chunk of concrete fell from the ceiling of the critical care unit (CCU) at NRS Medical College and Hospital, exposing the unsafe condition at one of Bengal’s premier state-run medical institutions.
A senior health department official said all patients were shifted to the high dependency unit (HDU) after the incident late on Tuesday.
“Patients who were in the CCU have been shifted to the HDU,” the official said.
A junior doctor confirmed that no patient was injured.
The CCU has 13 beds. While hospital authorities did not specify how many patients were admitted at the time, a doctor said around 10 patients were undergoing treatment at the ward. Sources said fresh admissions to the CCU have been stopped.
The unit is located on the fifth floor of the Upendranath Brahmachari (UNB) building, which also houses the departments of anaesthesiology and general medicine.
The hospital authorities wrote to the state public works department (PWD) on Wednesday seeking urgent repairs. A joint inspection of the ward was carried out by PWD and hospital officials.
“Civil work is required in the CCU room on the fifth floor of the UNB building. Cracks have been found in the ceiling and at the junction between columns and walls,” the inspection note stated.
“Patient entry into the affected area has been restricted until repair and restoration work is completed,” said a letter signed by several doctors and sent to the medical superintendent.
“We have at least 13 beds in the CCU, and, fortunately, no patients were injured when the concrete fell,” a junior doctor said.
“PWD has started renovation work. To avoid any risk, no new admissions are being taken,” another junior doctor added.
The incident comes within weeks of the death of a 41-year-old man who was crushed between the doors of an automatic lift at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Metro has reported several times that in state-run hospitals in Bengal, several basic services for patients are either missing or in disrepair.
The senior state health department official said a new building on the NRS hospital premises has been built to relocate the ward.
“We have already constructed a new building at NRS hospital for shifting these wards permanently. The process of shifting has already been started,” he said.