Jalandhar: In a tragic turn of events, three critically ill patients lost their lives at the Trauma Ward of Jalandhar’s Civil Hospital on Sunday evening, reportedly following a brief but critical drop in oxygen supply caused by a technical fault in the hospital’s central oxygen plant.
Snakebite, Drug Overdose, and TB Patients Among the Deceased
The deceased included:
- A snakebite victim
- A young man who had overdosed on drugs
- A tuberculosis patient
All three were in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and on ventilator support when the oxygen supply was allegedly interrupted for a short period.
Families Allege Negligence; Hospital Denies Accountability
Family members of the deceased alleged that the sudden oxygen disruption directly caused the deaths. However, hospital authorities denied allegations of negligence, stating that the patients were already in critical condition.
Speaking to The Hindu, Senior Medical Officer (SMO) Anand said, “The reasons have been mentioned by the doctors in the patients’ files.”
Technical Fault Confirmed, Oil Leak Blamed for Oxygen Disruption
Medical Superintendent Dr. Raj Kumar Baddhan confirmed that the hospital’s oxygen plant suffered a technical malfunction due to an oil leak, which briefly interrupted the oxygen supply. Though the fault was rectified quickly, the three patients died shortly afterward.
“Due to a technical fault in the oxygen plant in the evening, the supply was snapped. An oil leak that caused the fault was fixed, but the patients succumbed,” he told PTC News.
Health Minister Orders High-Level Inquiry, Committee Formed
In response to the incident, Punjab Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh visited the hospital on Monday and announced the formation of a nine-member inquiry committee. A specialist team from Chandigarh is expected to visit the facility, and a detailed investigation report is due within 48 hours.
Speaking to the media, Dr. Singh said,
“These patients were already in critical condition… There was just a brief drop in oxygen pressure, maybe for 1–2 minutes. The deaths happened within 10–15 minutes of each other. One had lung consolidation, another suffered from multiple organ failure, and the third was a drug addict.”
Backup Oxygen Supply Was Activated Immediately, Say Officials
Dr. Vinay Kumar, Civil Surgeon and Chief Medical Officer (CMO), emphasized that while a technical issue had occurred, backup oxygen cylinders were activated without delay, and the situation was brought under control within five to ten minutes.
“The three patients who died were already in critical condition. Their deaths occurred due to different complications after the incident,” he stated.
Awaiting Investigation Outcome
As the probe proceeds, the incident has raised serious questions about infrastructure reliability and emergency response systems in government hospitals. Families of the deceased continue to seek accountability, even as hospital officials maintain that the deaths were not caused solely by the oxygen lapse.
The hospital awaits the findings of the expert committee, which are expected to determine whether the oxygen disruption directly contributed to the loss of lives or if other medical factors were primarily responsible.
