A power outage in the operation theatre (OT) of the government-run Rajindra Hospital in Patiala during a surgery has sparked a row after a video filmed by a doctor went viral on social media.
In the video, the patient lies unconscious on the surgical bed as the doctor explains that power fluctuations persisted for 15 minutes, causing the ventilator to stop during the surgery.
While raising the concerns for the patients’ safety, the doctor said that this was not one of the incidents. The video also revealed that, contrary to official claims, the hospital’s emergency ward was not connected to a dedicated power hotline.
Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh shrugged off the incident, saying on his official X handle, “The power backup systems at Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, are multi-level (3 hotlines) and functioning without issue. On Friday, a local fault led to a momentary loss of electricity. The UPS and generator backup functioned seamlessly, and the surgery was conducted without issue. The patient is recovering well. Unfortunately, a junior doctor panicked and recorded a video. Medical staff must remain focused on patient care at all times.”
Slamming the government over the health model of Punjab, former Health Minister Balbir Singh Sadhu, on his official X handle, said, “Extremely shocking. One of the premier hospitals of Punjab is facing an electricity issue. Bhagwant Mann Ji has made patients’ lives a joke! This health model is not what Punjab voted for.”
“Instead of focusing on the issues of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann and the Health Minister are more focused on the upcoming Delhi Elections,” he added.