Patna: A portion of a false ceiling collapsed at AIIMS-Patna's outpatient department on Monday, purportedly because of ongoing construction on the upper floor.

The incident occurred in the paediatrics outpatient department in the morning. A source said the room was being used for seeing paediatrics patients.

This is the second time that portion of a false ceiling has come off in the outpatient department since last year. There have been no injuries on either occasion.

AIIMS administrative officials blamed it "on some construction-related loopholes". One of them said: "We had pointed out the loopholes to the construction firm and the engineers are working on it."

AIIMS-Patna medical superintendent Dr Shyam Sundar Gupta, however, said: "This incident is something very normal. A portion of the false ceiling collapsed because of ongoing construction on an upper floor of the building. No injury has been reported. The paediatrics department was using it as a storeroom."

On being prodded, Gupta said AIIMS director Prabhat Kumar Singh had lashed out at the construction company, BL Kashyap & Sons, over the incident.

"Any fatality could have occurred if anyone was in the room. The director scolded the officials on Monday."

A senior official from BL Kashyap & Sons although denied any fault on the firm's part.

"The private agency responsible for housekeeping had removed a tap on the upper floor of the building. Water was leaking through the pipeline due to which gypsum in the false ceiling got heavy and the false ceiling fell. So, a third party is involved in this. We are not at fault. The hospital administration should have kept checks on this. We have already handed over the keys of the upper floor to the administration last December," said the official.

A senior doctor refused to let the firm get off easy. "Around 1,600-2,000 people visit the various OPDs of AIIMS-Patna. Except radiotherapy, around 20 departments run from the new OPD building. Any major mishap could have occurred if the false ceiling had fallen on an area crowded by patients. How can such an incident happen in a new building?"

Holi cloud on fest

AIIMS-Patna is thinking of cancelling Kaizen, the college's annual fest that is to be held from March 20-24.

Students from all seven AIIMS and other technical institutions, including IITs and NITs, are supposed to participate in the fest but the action taken on the final-year student after a pre-Holi bash has cast a cloud on the event.

"Following the rustication of the final-year MBBS student, the administration is apprehensive about a repeat. It has now left the decision on the faculty members whether to conduct the fest or not. They would sit down with the students and take a final decision," said a doctor at AIIMS-Patna.