Demolition of Historic Women Hospital at PMCH sparks outcry

Patna: The demolition of the entire frontal structure of the more than 90-year-old Women Hospital at the iconic Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) has stirred anguish among heritage enthusiasts and former students of the esteemed institution. 

The PMCH was established in 1925 as Bihar and Orissa province's first medical college, it holds significant historical importance, having been founded in the early years following the region's separation from the Bengal Presidency in 1912.

On March 22, coinciding with the 112th anniversary of Bihar's modern statehood, laborers were observed dismantling the remaining frontal structures of the Women Hospital building situated within the PMCH campus along the historic Ashok Rajpath.

Officials said a segment of the front portion of the Women Hospital building has been demolished to make way for infrastructure projects. They said the demolition work started earlier this month, news agency PTI reported.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on February 27 inaugurated the first phase of the PMCH redevelopment project.

As part of the mega infrastructure revamp plan, a 5,462-bed hospital complex will come up at the old PMCH site for Rs 5,540 crore. The project is expected to be completed in seven years. The foundation stone of the mega project was laid by Kumar on February 8, 2021.

The ongoing redevelopment initiative, which began with the demolition of select structures in 2021 to make room for modern high-rise facilities, aims to revitalize the PMCH campus, originally established as the Prince of Wales Medical College in 1925.

This was Bihar and Orissa province's first medical college. The college, renamed PMCH after Independence, was in turn born out of the Temple Medical School, established in 1874 in Bankipore.

Bihar and Orissa as a separate province was carved out of the Bengal presidency in 1912, with the capital at Patna. On April 1, 1936, Orissa (now Odisha) became a separate state.

Bihar government celebrates March 22 as Bihar Diwas, marking the formation of the state.

Several old buildings of PMCH, including the old medical superintendent's bungalow, prison ward, and nurses hostel, have been demolished as part of the revamp project. Its alumni had earlier made a fervent appeal to the authorities to spare the core heritage structures which tell the stories of the famed institution's inception.

According to PTI, PMCH Alumni Association president Satyajeet Kumar Singh reiterated his appeal to at least spare the historic old Bankipore General Hospital building and Administrative Block to "let future generations see the legacy of the institution in a tangible form".

The partial demolition of the Women's Hospital, set up in 1930, has also sparked an outcry among heritage lovers.

Aman Lal, 20, a student of Patna College said, "The government is slowly dismantling all key heritage buildings of the city which gave our state and Patna its identity."

"On Bihar Diwas I was on my way to college when I saw labourers pulling down the remnants of the front portion of the iconic Women's Hospital building. It broke my heart. Instead of celebrating our built heritage on Bihar Diwas, the government razed it. It's a shame," he said.

Prateek Nishant, a PMCH alumnus whose great grandfather, Tarini Prasad Sinha, was among the first graduating batch in 1927, said, "Heritage and development can co-exist and it needs sensitive planning".

"As a former student, I feel sad. The heritage buildings of PMCH, which turns 100 next year, should have been saved for posterity. The new blocks of PMCH should have been built elsewhere in the city," he said.

Phase one of the redevelopment project includes a G+9 multi-utility building, housing the OPD, blood banks, surgical store, medical store, blood bank, among other facilities, the senior official said.

Partial demolition of the Women Hospital has been carried out to also accommodate the alignment of an under-construction double-decker flyover along a section of the Ashok Rajpath from Kargil Chowk to NIT More, the official said.

Many educational and other institutions located along the Ashok Rajpath have been heavily impacted due to the double-decker flyover project and the ongoing construction of a corridor of Patna Metro.

The foundation stone of the little over 2 km flyover was laid on September 4, 2021, by the chief minister.

While PMCH's main gate has been closed since July 2022 for the construction of a metro station, a significant portion of the front of the historic cancer ward building was demolished by early 2023 to build the metro corridor.

In September 2022, official sources told PTI that the old Women Hospital of the PMCH shall not be affected by the revised alignment of the Patna Metro along Ashok Rajpath.