PMCH Redevelopment vs Heritage: Why Gandhi’s 1947 Operation Theatre Faces an Uncertain Future

The historic old Bankipore General Hospital building at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), where Mahatma Gandhi watched his grand-niece Manu undergo an appendicitis operation in May 1947, faces possible demolition as the hospital undergoes redevelopment.

Demolition of the century-old complex began in September with the razing of the Hathwa Ward, its north wing. The remaining portions include the two-storey Guzri Ward, central portico, staircase and a frontal structure connected to the main building by a bridge.

The frontal structure housed the former operation theatre where Gandhi watched Manu’s surgery on May 15, 1947. He sat beside her wearing a surgical mask and watched the procedure.

PMCH alumni, Gandhians and heritage enthusiasts have appealed to the Bihar government to preserve the surviving structures. Former PMCH Alumni Association president Dr Satyajeet Kumar Singh has urged the government to spare the building associated with Gandhi’s visit.

Current alumni association president Dr Ramendra Narain Singh has called for preservation of the structure as redevelopment of the hospital continues. He cited Hammersmith Hospital in the UK as an example of modernisation alongside conservation of historic buildings.

Heritage advocate and author Rajiv Soni has proposed converting the surviving structures into a museum of Bihar’s medical history, with the old operation theatre curated around Gandhi’s 1947 visit. The proposal, however, has not been adopted as an official government plan.

The Bankipore General Hospital building is linked to the history of medical education in Bihar. The Temple Medical School was established in Patna in 1874, while the Prince of Wales Medical College was set up in 1925 and later renamed PMCH.

The surviving building features British-era architectural elements, including large Doric columns, a central portico and a vintage lift. The state government’s redevelopment project envisages a 5,462-bed PMCH complex at an estimated cost of Rs 5,540 crore.

With the Hathwa Ward demolished, alumni and heritage groups are seeking clarity on the future of historic structures on the campus as redevelopment work progresses.