Jalandhar: Panic gripped the Civil Hospital’s Trauma Centre in Jalandhar on Sunday after a sudden technical failure in the oxygen supply system reportedly led to the deaths of three patients admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
The incident sparked outrage and grief among the patients’ families and prompted an urgent investigation by hospital authorities.
According to hospital officials, the fault occurred within the trauma centre’s oxygen pipeline, disrupting the critical oxygen flow to ICU beds. Dr. Vinay Anand, a senior doctor at the trauma centre, confirmed the malfunction, stating that the oxygen pressure had dropped due to a technical issue.
“Three patients died after the pressure decreased,” he said. “However, whether the deaths were directly caused by the oxygen failure is still under investigation.”
Deceased included a snakebite victim, a tuberculosis patient
The deceased included a snakebite victim, a tuberculosis patient, and a third person suffering from a drug overdose. All three were in critical condition prior to the incident. Dr. Anand maintained that while he cannot conclusively link the deaths to the oxygen disruption, the timing of the failures raises serious concerns. “It is true that the oxygen pressure dropped and shortly after, the three patients passed away,” he added.
The hospital administration has launched a full inquiry and called in technical teams to inspect the system. “We are taking this very seriously and want to ensure such incidents are never repeated,” a hospital spokesperson said.
One of the victims, Archana, had been battling complications from a snakebite for a week. Her family alleged that negligence and poor maintenance of the oxygen supply system led to her death.
“We noticed the oxygen pipe to our daughter had stopped working. She started struggling to breathe and soon died. If the oxygen supply had been restored in time, she might have survived,” said a grieving family member.
The tragic incident has raised serious questions about infrastructure and emergency preparedness in public hospitals.