Patna: At Patna’s largest hospital, the recent Rs 5,540 crore renovation of the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) has hit a major snag: the elevator in the new Common Utility Building (CUB) has been out of service for over a week. The malfunction is causing serious difficulties for patients and staff alike.
The CUB houses outpatient departments including dermatology, neurology, neurosurgery, pediatrics, urology, cardiothoracic, and orthopedics, with the sixth floor dedicated to pathology tests for all outpatients. With no functional elevator and no ramp alternative, relatives of patients are being forced to carry stretchers up multiple flights of stairs.
“The new building is shining, but the elevator has been out of order for weeks,” said pregnant patient relative. “Patients risk their lives climbing the stairs every day. No hospital official seems concerned.” patient relative, added: “Four people carry stretchers up to the fourth floor for critical patients.”
Hospital staff report that elevator breakdowns are frequent, occurring for about a week each month since the building opened eight to nine months ago. Nurses, ward boys, and technicians are routinely forced to carry patients manually, which increases the risk of worsening their condition. Elderly, pregnant, and disabled patients face the greatest challenges.
The CUB was intended to modernise PMCH’s infrastructure as part of a broader renovation project costing Rs 5,540 crore. But critics argue that the persistent failure of basic facilities raises questions about the quality of the project, particularly as patients from distant areas struggle with the inconvenience.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar visited the hospital on November 28, to inspect the renovation work. He reportedly issued instructions to the district administration and hospital management to ensure proper functioning and security. Attempts to reach PMCH Superintendent Dr IAS Thakur for comment on the elevator outage were unsuccessful.
