A 45-year-old woman, identified as V. Devi, passed away at King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, late on November 6, 2025, amid a prolonged power outage that disrupted several departments for nearly 10 hours.
The incident has triggered controversy, as family members claimed the death resulted from an interruption in oxygen supply during the blackout, while hospital officials maintain that the patient suffered a sudden cardiac arrest unrelated to the outage.
According to hospital authorities, the power disruption occurred after an underground cable was accidentally damaged during nearby maintenance work. Repair teams from the Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (APEPDCL) and the Andhra Pradesh Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation (APMSIDC) were deployed to restore supply. Electricity was eventually re-established around 11:45 p.m. after temporary generator backup supported critical units.
Family members of the deceased alleged that oxygen delivery to patients in the ward was compromised during the outage and that Devi, who had been admitted for respiratory distress, became breathless when power failed. They further claimed that no immediate assistance or information was provided by staff.
However, KGH doctors stated that the patient had not been on continuous oxygen therapy at the time of the incident and that recorded oxygen saturation levels ranged between 93% and 97% shortly before the cardiac event. Despite resuscitation efforts, she could not be revived.
Hospital superintendent and attending physicians clarified that central oxygen systems remained functional throughout the power cut and that generator supply maintained essential services in intensive and high-dependency units.
The patient was also suffering from liver damage and stones in liver and gall bladder. They asserted that the cardiac arrest was a medical event rather than a direct consequence of power failure. Officials have nevertheless ordered an internal review to evaluate whether contingency responses were adequate and whether communication lapses contributed to public concern.
King George Hospital (commonly known as KGH) is a public hospital located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India and is the busiest government hospital in the area.
The hospital serve the needs of north coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjacent Odisha and Chhattisgarh since its beginning. The hospital handles over 1,000 out-patient department (O.P.D.) cases daily.
It was started as a civil dispensary in 1845 and upgraded to a 30-bed hospital in 1857.
Power outages in hospitals pose serious clinical risks when not managed by robust backup infrastructure. Systems such as automatic transfer switches, dual generator units, and central medical gas reserves are designed to prevent interruptions in patient support devices like ventilators, oxygen concentrators, and infusion pumps.
The incident has reignited discussions about emergency preparedness and patient safety in Indian public hospitals. Health administrators in Andhra Pradesh have been urged to audit power backup systems, ensure timely generator activation protocols, and strengthen coordination between maintenance departments and power utilities.
Officials from KGH confirmed that an internal fact-finding committee will submit its report to the state health department, while political representatives have called for a wider review of hospital infrastructure resilience. Meanwhile, the family of the deceased has sought further clarification regarding the events leading up to the death.
(Rh/TL/MSM)
