Patna, April 1: More than 24 hours before Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara indulge in mindgames in Mumbai, the junior doctors and the authorities of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) today got engaged in one-upmanship over watching the ICC World Cup final on a giant screen on the health hub campus.

The junior doctors proposed to watch the historic match at Platinum Jubilee auditorium on the hospital premises. But the college authorities purged the idea citing law and order concerns. Naturally, the junior doctors are a disappointed lot when the capital is gearing up to be glued to the screen tomorrow as India take on Sri Lanka in the World Cup final.

Sources in PMCH said the junior medics and medical students of the college wanted to arrange the screening of the match on a giant screen to make it a memorable experience. “It could have been so much fun if all the medical students and junior doctors would have come together to watch the match live on a giant screen. But the college administration has refused us permission, expressing concerns over the law and order. The authorities also said this kind of activity cannot be allowed inside the hospital as the match will continue till 10-10.30 at night,” a junior doctor said.

PMCH principal Dr N.P. Yadav said no professor was ready to take the responsibility of maintaining discipline during the screening of match on giant screen and so the permission was denied.

“A professor had come to me with the request to allow the screening. But when I told him someone will have to be accountable for discipline, no one came forward,” he said.

“We should not forget that this is a medical college and over 2,000 patients are admitted here, many struggling for life. Under these circumstances, maintaining discipline is very important. Enjoyment and jubilations are fine but on many occasions students get carried away when they are in crowd and so it is a risky affair,” Yadav said.

Snubbed by the college authorities, the students are planning to arrange screening in one of the boys’ hostels. “The college auditorium could have been a much better venue for the group with proper sitting arrangements. But we want to view the historic cricket match with our friends and that’s why we have zeroed in on one of the boys’ hostels,” said a fourth-year medical student.

A junior doctor told The Telegraph the refusal from the administration had come as a shocker for them. “We had arranged for a projector and a screen in advance but they poured cold water on our enthusiasm,” he said.