The Medical College and Hospital canteen on Wednesday afternoon. (Anindya Shankar Ray)

Parts of Medical College and Hospital, including the intensive cardiac care unit and a section of the emergency department, went without electricity for almost seven hours on Wednesday. Patients suffered in hot and humid wards and had to go without water.

The blackout was caused by a fault in the hospital power lines. Power went off at 9am and was restored at 3.50pm after diesel generators were pressed into service. The electrical wing of the PWD, in charge of the maintenance of power lines in the hospital, was unable to fix the problem till late on Wednesday.

Hospital sources said tests like X-ray and CT scan could not be conducted and a few planned surgeries were delayed. Carrying patients up and down the five-storeyed Main Building posed a problem with the elevators remaining out of order even after the generators were brought in.

“It’s a shame that a reputable government hospital took so long to restore power. The heat inside the wards was unbearable. There was no ventilation or water,” said Rinku Chakraborty. She had to bring water from outside for her father-in-law, who was admitted with respiratory distress.

“Patients in the Main Building, which houses the cardiac department and general medicine wards, were affected. Ezra Building, where the chest indoor department is located, SC Law Building, which has the ENT and psychiatry outdoor units, and the chemotherapy day-care centre also suffered,” said medical superintendent Anup Roy.

Nazir Hossain, 25, of Shanpukur in South 24-Parganas, said his father Abdul Mabud Ahmed, a throat cancer patient, missed his chemotherapy session. “He has already lost his speech. We are praying he receives the dose before it’s too late,” said Nazir.

Blood transfusion suffered too. “The nurses didn’t want to risk pushing the needle in the dark,” said Monojit Das, whose wife needed an urgent transfusion.

The canteen, a branch of the Indian Coffee House, the Principal’s Building, where the administrative office is located, a payment collection centre and the admissions section also plunged into darkness. “None of the computers was working and the paperwork took a lot of time,” said an official.