Cieling of operation theatre at RG Kar hospital collapses

Tensions erupted at the R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata on Thursday after the ceiling of an operation theatre collapsed. The incident, which fortunately caused no injuries, has intensified scrutiny over the hospital's management and infrastructure upkeep.

The collapse occurred in an operation theatre that was not in use at the time, sparing any potential injuries to patients or staff. However, the incident has raised significant concerns among hospital staff about the deteriorating state of the facility. R.G. Kar Hospital has already been under the national spotlight in recent months due to two high-profile issues: the tragic rape and murder of a junior doctor in August, and an ongoing investigation into alleged financial mismanagement.

Doctors at the hospital have linked the ceiling collapse to misappropriations during the tenure of former Principal Sandip Ghosh, who allegedly bypassed the state Public Works Department (PWD) to allocate infrastructure projects to privately outsourced agencies. These accusations, if substantiated, suggest that years of neglected maintenance work may have led to the incident.

According to a junior doctor at the hospital, repeated requests were made to the hospital administration for urgent repair work in the affected operation theatre. “The condition of the operation theatre whose ceiling collapsed was terrible for quite some time. Thankfully, no one was there when the ceiling fell, but had it happened during an operation, it could have put lives at risk,” he said.

Another doctor warned of similar risks in other parts of the hospital’s surgery department, describing the infrastructure in multiple rooms as equally alarming. He emphasized the urgent need for immediate and thorough repairs to prevent future accidents.