The walls of the ENT Block in Victoria Hospital have developed cracks and it is being attributed to the construction of the underground K.R. Market Namma Metro Station along the North-South Corridor of the Namma Metro Phase I.
According to doctors and post-graduate students at the ENT Block, though the walls developed cracks three months ago, vibrations have been felt more frequently over the past few days.
After the former Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) Director D. Raviprakash wrote a letter in January to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL), the Namma Metro authorities placed supporting scaffolding inside Victoria Hospital and were closely observing if the structure was sinking.
The staff members at the ENT Block said Metro work poses a threat to the block and pointed out that following damage to one of the walls in a professor’s chamber, repair works were undertaken.
Santosh Kumar P., a student pursuing postgraduation, said doctors were always on guard as vibrations in the ward were a common occurrence. “The day before yesterday, I was on the rounds when the first floor shook for a few seconds. We do not know when an accident may occur,” he said.
Hospital authorities said the BMRCL authorities had inspected the Victoria Hospital building and placed sensors to check if the building was sinking. Officials point out that the pillars in the hospital themselves pose a threat to patients. “What if the supporting pillars fall off? Namma Metro authorities cannot wash their hands off their responsibility.”
BMRCL Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola said he was aware of the damage being caused to the Victoria Hospital building because of Namma Metro work. BMRCL was closely monitoring the impact of the metro work on the surrounding buildings. “Based on the report, we will decide whether we will repair or restructure the buildings,” he added.
Now, as a precautionary measure, the entrance to the ENT Block has been shifted, and parking is also now allowed in a new area.
It may be recalled that a section of the paediatric ward of the adjoining Vani Vilas Hospital were shifted in March last year soon after cracks were seen on the walls there.
