In a shocking incident at Punjab’s government-run Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, a surgery had to be abruptly halted due to alleged power outages, including a failure of the operation theatre’s (OT) emergency lighting. A viral video depicting the disruption has ignited widespread concern over patient safety and hospital preparedness.
The video, recorded by a doctor present during the surgery, shows medical staff standing around the patient, anxiously waiting for the power supply to resume. Vital electrical equipment, including the ventilator, reportedly became nonfunctional during the outage. The doctor expressed grave concerns about the potential harm to the patient, stating, “If anything happens to the patient, who will be held responsible?”
According to the doctor featured in the 56-second clip, power outages are a recurring issue at the hospital. “It’s been 15 minutes since the power went out. The ventilator has also shut down. This is not the first time something like this has happened,” the doctor said in the video.
Shocking ‼️ Reality of Health & Electricity in Punjab.
This video is from Govt Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, where electricity failed during an ongoing surgical procedure. Doctors recorded this video to reveal the truth about the situation.
Rajindra Hospital is the largest… pic.twitter.com/ksjA4fMV9Y— Manik Goyal (@ManikGoyal_) January 24, 2025
(Parvasi Media cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video.)
Hospital sources corroborated claims of frequent power disruptions, despite the presence of three backup facilities. However, it remains unclear when the video was recorded, adding to the ambiguity surrounding the incident.
Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh downplayed the situation, attributing the disruption to a “local fault” and asserting that the hospital’s backup systems were functioning as intended. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Singh clarified, “The power backup systems at Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, are multi-level (three hotlines) and functioning without issue. The UPS and generator backup worked seamlessly, and the surgery was conducted without problems. The patient is recovering well.”
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