Chandigarh blackout had 40 lives at stake in GMCH-32: Probe

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Chandigarh, March 1

The power outage risked the lives of 40 patients on ventilator at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, and forced the Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, authorities to perform 13 caesarean deliveries during the blackout with the help of generators, reveals the preliminary findings of the ongoing investigation into the power disruption at the two hospitals during the three-day strike called by employees of the UT Electricity Department.

On the intervening night of February 21 and 22, the GMCH faced power disruption from 12.15 am to 5.30 am – power outage of over five hours. The committee has found that 40 patients were on ventilator during the spell of power outage. An official of the Health Department said, “Power was temporarily provided for over five consecutive hours with the help of generator sets. Had any of the generator sets developed a snag, the lives of 40 critical patients, who were on the ventilator, would have been at stake.”

Not only this, the lives of several pregnant women awaiting deliveries were also endangered at the GMSH as the electricity was disrupted twice from 5.45 am to 1 pm on February 22 and from 9.30 pm to 4.30 am on February 23.

As many as 13 caesarean deliveries were carried out at the GMSH during the blackout with the help of generator sets. As many as seven caesarean deliveries were carried out during the seven-hour power failure on February 22, while six caesarean deliveries were carried out during the power cut of another seven hours the next day.

The generators were kept as a backup, but were not the main power supplier.

The hospitals were forced to postpone all other surgeries and deny new admissions. As many as 25 surgeries were postponed at the GMCH and 14 at the GMSH.

The inquiry officer has found that the electricity lines at the GMCH had tripped around 12.15. However, the first line was restored at 5 am and the second line was restored through the first line around 5.30 am.

In a crackdown on the protesters, the UT Administration had suspended two junior engineers (JEs), who were supervising the electricity supply of the GMCH, Sector 32, and the GMSH, Sector 16, till the investigation is on and constituted a committee, headed by the Health Secretary, along with the Medical Superintendents of the GMSH and the GMCH, and an Executive Engineer (Electrical) to scrutinise the lapses that led to the power failure in both hospitals.

In protest against the privatisation of the Electricity Department, the UT Powermen Union had given a call for a three-day strike from February 22 to 24. After the employees went on a strike on the intervening night of February 21 and 22, most areas in the city plunged into darkness.

Patients were on ventilator

Power was temporarily provided for over five consecutive hours at the GMCH with the help of generator sets. Had any of the generator sets developed a snag, the lives of 40 critical patients, who were on the ventilator, would have been at stake. — Health official

2 JEs were suspended

• The inquiry officer has found that the electricity lines at the GMCH had tripped around 12.15 am. However, the first line was restored at 5 am and the second line was restored through the first line around 5.30 am.
• In a crackdown on the protesters, the UT had suspended two junior engineers (JEs), who were supervising the electricity supply of the GMCH, Sector 32, and the GMSH, Sector 16.

Probe panel was constituted

The UT had constituted a committee, headed by the Health Secretary, along with the Medical Superintendents of the GMSH and the GMCH, and an Executive Engineer (Electrical) to scrutinise the lapses that led to the power failure in both hospitals.