Surgeons Left in Dark: Power Outage Hits Punjab Hospital Amid Surgery

A video has emerged on social media showing a government doctor discussing the challenges faced during a surgery at Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, Punjab, due to a power outage. In the 56-second clip, a group of doctors is seen working on a patient when the power goes out, and one doctor comments that it’s not the first time the electricity supply in the hospital’s main emergency department has been unreliable.

The doctor also questions how they will proceed with the operation under these conditions and wonders if the medical staff will be held responsible if anything happens to the patient. Meanwhile, another doctor can be seen manually operating the ventilator for the intubated patient.

The video quickly went viral, prompting a response from Union minister and BJP leader Ravneet Bittu. Bittu took to social media to criticize the AAP-led Punjab government, claiming that the state’s failure to improve healthcare and power supply, two areas that the AAP had promised to address, had been exposed in a painful way. He also pointed out that a surgeon had to publicly warn about the dangers of an unreliable power supply and criticized the leadership for abandoning Punjab in favor of Delhi.

In response, Punjab’s Health Minister, Dr. Balbir Singh, defended the hospital’s infrastructure. He explained that the power backup systems at Rajindra Hospital are multi-level, with three hotlines in place, and are functioning properly. Dr. Singh clarified that the power outage was due to a local fault and that the hospital's UPS and generator backup systems worked without issue. He assured the public that the surgery had been completed successfully and the patient was recovering well. Dr. Singh also criticized the junior doctor who recorded the video, stating that medical staff should stay focused on patient care rather than panicking and recording footage.

The incident began when a group of doctors had to temporarily halt a surgery due to continuous power outages, which included the failure of emergency lighting in the operating theatre. The video, filmed by one of the doctors, shows staff standing around the patient, waiting for the power to be restored as medical equipment was affected. The doctor in the video expressed concern about the situation, highlighting that power failures were a recurring issue at the hospital.

While some sources confirmed that the hospital frequently faces power disruptions despite having backup systems in place, Dr. Singh maintained that the systems had worked as intended during this particular incident. He emphasized that the patient’s recovery was unaffected by the temporary power loss.

The video also brought attention to the fact that the hospital’s emergency ward did not have a dedicated hotline, which contradicted previous official claims. Dr. Singh downplayed the significance of the incident, reiterating that medical staff should focus on resolving such issues instead of recording videos. He assured the public that the surgery went smoothly, the patient was stable, and the government is committed to improving healthcare services in the state.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Sai Sindhuja K/MSM)