BERHAMPUR: A number of ceiling slabs collapsed on the fifth floor of the super-speciality block in MKCG Medical College and Hospital (MCH) on Thursday, raising questions about the quality of construction works carried out in the building.
Incidentally, a fire had broken out on the same floor of the super-speciality building less than a fortnight back. The fifth floor houses the operation theatres (OTs) of Urology and Plastic Surgery departments besides the Cath lab.
Sources said panic gripped patients on other floors of the block after they heard a loud crashing sound. Soon, hospital staff and security personnel reached the fifth floor and found that several slabs from the ceiling had come down. The floor was closed for renovation since the fire mishap. Assistant superintendent of the MCH Dr Kiran Patnaik said slabs from a portion of the ceiling collapsed but did not cause any damage.
On August 26, a fire had broken out in the OT of the Urology department reportedly due to an electrical short circuit. While adequate fire extinguishers and sprinklers were installed, these did not serve the purpose on the day of the mishap. Patnaik said since some equipment suffered damage, the OT complex was closed. Now, a technical team is carrying out necessary repairs and once the task is completed, the complex will be opened.
This is not the first time ceiling slabs have collapsed in the block. Sources said in the recent past, some patients had sustained injuries in ceiling collapse mishaps. The five-storey super-speciality building of the MCH was constructed at a cost of around Rs 150 crore under Prime Minister Swasthya Suraksha Yojana and became operational last year.
Fire mishaps
Fire mishap on August 26 10th such incident in MKCG MCH in the last three years
In 2019, fire mishaps were reported from PG hostel, nursing hostel, regional diagnosis centre, cancer ward and PWD building
In 2020, a similar mishap took place in the Orthopaedic department in the old MCH building
In 2021, fire mishaps occurred in the super-speciality block, PG hostel and Cardiology department
In May this year, a fire broke out in the administrative block of the college