Duty doctors and nurses in the female ward under the Old Medicine wing of the SCB Medical College and Hospital had a close shave on Monday afternoon when a portion of the ceiling caved in.
Panic spread in the ward on the fourth floor of the Medicine wing as the concrete plaster came down with a thud.
It landed in vicinity of a patient’s bed, it is also the place where the doctors and nurses sit while on duty. Luckily for everyone, the doctors and nurses on duty had left their station a few moments ago.
Though no one was hurt in the incident, the collapse has brought to the fore the condition of the wards and departments of the premier hospital. While the authorities were not available for comment, it is rumoured that lack of maintenance and repair works in the hospital led to the caving in of the ceiling.
The High Court-appointed Advocates Committee on healthcare systems also visited the ward to take stock of the situation.
‘“The entire building is slipping into dilapidation due to lack of repair and maintenance works. We were informed that plasters have been peeling off at several places. Only a day before a portion of the ceiling fell in the corridor,” amicus curiae PR Das said.