In a shocking turn of events at Rajindra Medical Hospital in Patiala – one of the region’s premier health facilities, a routine surgery took a dangerous turn on Friday when a power outage caused critical medical equipment, including the patient’s ventilator, to shut down. As the surgical team stood frozen in the operating room, the life of the patient — already battling cancer — hung in the balance. Doctors were forced to halt the procedure, with no immediate solution in sight.
In response to the controversy, Punjab Health and family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh defended the hospital, stating that the power outage was brief, backup systems worked as intended, and the patient’s well-being was not compromised. At the same time, he criticized the doctor for panicking and recording a video instead of addressing the issue.
The Incident
In a chilling 56-second video, one surgeon raised an alarming question: “If anything happens to the patient, who will be responsible?” The doctor’s panicked voice captured the gravity of the situation, as the operating team anxiously awaited the return of power, hoping the backup systems would kick in before it was too late.
The unsettling video, recorded by the operating surgeon, quickly went viral, revealing the severity of the situation and sparking widespread concern. With the patient relying on a ventilator during surgery, the potential consequences of this electrical failure were dire. Despite being equipped with three backup power lines, Rajindra Hospital’s inability to prevent such an outage has thrown a harsh spotlight on the hospital’s infrastructure, leaving the medical team scrambling in a high-stakes situation where seconds mattered. The incident raised serious questions about the reliability of emergency systems in a hospital, where every moment is critical to saving lives.
In the video, the surgeon can be heard expressing concern about the tripping of the Hospital’s power supply, noting that the ventilator had shut down as well. “The lights in the main emergency room of Rajindra Hospital have been going off and on for the past 15 minutes. The ventilator has also stopped. If something happens to the patient, who will be held responsible?” asked the doctor.
According to the doctors, this was not the first time such an incident had occurred. They claimed that the hospital was not adequately connected to an emergency hotline, which they argued could have prevented the power failure from impacting patient care during critical procedures.
Political Controversy
The video quickly gained traction on social media, sparking political debate ahead of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. BJP leader and Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu shared the video on his official social media account, criticizing the healthcare model of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Bittu raised questions over the state’s preparedness and management of its healthcare infrastructure.
The incident has sparked fierce criticism from opposition parties, with the Punjab BJP calling it a “grave violation of human life”. In a tweet from party’s official ‘X’ handle, Punjab BJP questioned the reliability of the AAP government’s healthcare model, highlighting the severe consequences of the power failure during an ongoing surgery. “Is this the ‘Delhi health model’ of @BhagwantMann and @ArvindKejriwal, where hospitals lack ventilators and electricity?” the post read.
The opposition has also pointed to the repeated power issues at the hospital, accusing the state government of mismanagement.
SAD leader Bikramjit Singh Majithia echoed similar sentiments, condemning the lack of proper facilities at the hospital and demanding accountability for the risk posed to patients' lives. “Under Bhagwant Mann's leadership, this is what the ‘revolution’ in health and education looks like,” he remarked, criticizing the government’s failure to address the issue despite months of inaction.
Minister Reacts
In response to the growing controversy, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh defended the hospital’s handling of the situation. He clarified that the power outage was brief and that the backup systems, including Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) and generators, had functioned as expected.
“The young junior doctor did panic, but the operation was carried out normally and the patient is now recovering,” said Dr Balbir.
Further downplaying the incident, the Minister asserted that it was not a cause for concern, as emergency systems were in place, and the patient's well-being was not compromised.
At the same time, the Minister criticized the surgeon’s decision to film the incident instead of contacting the relevant personnel to address the power issue. “Normally, in such situations, a doctor would call the generator operator or someone in-charge of the emergency systems. But in this case, the doctor opted to make a video,” he remarked.
The Minister assured the public that all necessary arrangements were in place and expressed confidence that no negligence had occurred.
