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A group of doctors performing a surgery at a government-run hospital in Punjab's Patiala were forced to halt the procedure after alleged continuous power outages, including the emergency lights in the operation theatre (OT).
A viral video from Rajindra Hospital in Patiala shows the doctors and staff standing around the patient, who was being operated upon, and waiting for the power supply to resume, as the electrical equipment were affected. The video was shot by one of the doctors, who raised concerns over the well being of the patient and the possibility of any adversity.
Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh, however, said the power backup systems at the hospital are "functioning without issue" and that the doctor had simply "panicked and recorded a video". The hospital staff must stay "focussed on patient care at all times", he said.
The power backup systems at Rajindra hospital, Patiala are multi level (3 hotlines) & functioning without issue. Today, a local fault led to momentary loss of electricity. The UPS and generator backup functioned seamlessly & the surgery was conducted without issue. Patient is… pic.twitter.com/gPmjJy9R5x
— Dr Balbir Singh (@AAPbalbir) January 24, 2025
In the 56-second clip, the doctor in the OT is heard saying that such cases of power outages tend to recur at the hospital. It could not be immediately ascertained when the video was shot.
"It is not the first time such a thing is happening (power outage). It's been 15 minutes since the power went out. The ventilator has also shut down. If anything happens to the patient, who will be responsible for this? The doctors? All the staff are standing here, the ventilator has turned off," the doctor says.
Sources said the power supply is often disrupted in the hospital, despite the availability of three back up facilities.
In a post on X, Mr Singh said a local fault led to the "momentary loss of electricity" at the hospital. "The power backup systems at Rajindra hospital, Patiala are multi level (3 hotlines) & functioning without issue. The UPS and generator backup functioned seamlessly & the surgery was conducted without issue," he said, adding that the patient was recovering without any issue.
"Unfortunately, a junior doctor panicked and recorded a video. Medical staff must remain focussed on patient care at all times," he added.
(With inputs from Gurpreet Singh)