In a shocking incident at Bijnor District Hospital, Uttar Pradesh, a 26-year-old kidney patient, Sarfaraz Ahmad, lost his life mid-dialysis due to a power outage and a non-functional backup generator. The incident occurred on Friday, May 31, 2025, in the midst of an official inspection, exposing severe mismanagement and negligence in the hospital’s dialysis unit.
A Life Cut Short by Systemic Failures
Sarfaraz Ahmad, a resident of Phulsanda village, was undergoing dialysis when the electricity suddenly failed. His mother, devastated by the events, recounted how the machine stopped with half his blood trapped inside it. She pleaded with hospital staff to start the generator, but her cries for help went unanswered.
While Sarfaraz’s mother believed half of his blood was stuck in the machine, medical experts noted that typically only 200–250 ml is circulated outside the body during dialysis. However, a sudden stop can still cause fatal instability in critical patients.
While inspecting the hospital during the incident on Friday, CDO Purna Borah discovered five other patients enduring the conditions without electricity, lighting, or fans.
“When the power went off, the machine stopped midway with almost half his blood stuck inside it. I begged the staff to start the generator, but no one helped. My son died soon after,” Sarfaraz’s mother said to The Times of India.
Negligence and Accountability
The hospital staff blamed Sanjeevani, the private firm managing the dialysis unit under a public-private partnership since 2020, for failing to supply diesel for the generator despite repeated warnings. District Magistrate Jasjit Kaur, disturbed by the conditions, seized all dialysis unit records and assured strict action against the agency, which is now set to be blacklisted.
“There was mismanagement and no cleanliness in the unit. A case is being registered against the agency. In addition, it will be blacklisted,” Dr. Jasjit Kaur said to The Times of India.
A Wake-Up Call for Healthcare Infrastructure
The loss of Sarfaraz Ahmad is a grim reminder of the cost of negligence. His family, left heartbroken, now seeks justice for the preventable tragedy that took his life. Will this incident serve as a turning point for healthcare reforms, or will it fade into another statistic? Only time will tell.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Mradula U Naik/MSM)