Hospital Malfunction Causes Oxygen Shortage, Leading to Three Patient Deaths in Jalandhar
In an unfortunate turn of events, a sudden drop in oxygen pressure at the Trauma Ward of Jalandhar's Civil Hospital on Sunday evening led to the deaths of three critically ill patients.
The incident was reportedly due to a technical fault during an oxygen supply changeover, according to Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh. The exact cause of the technical fault is yet to be determined, but it appears to have originated from a snag in one of the compressors at the hospital's pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen plant.
Dr Vinay Kumar, Civil Surgeon and CMO, confirmed the brief technical fault that led to the reduction in oxygen supply at the hospital's Trauma Ward. The supply was immediately switched to backup turbo oxygen cylinders, but during this brief interruption, three patients in the ICU, each with specific health issues, lost their lives.
One of the deceased was a snakebite victim with lung consolidation, another was a patient with multiple organ failure, and the third was a youth with a drug overdose.
Balbir Singh has assured that a team of doctors from Chandigarh will investigate the incident, and a report will be issued within 48 hours. An investigation committee has also been constituted, as confirmed by Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal.
Efforts are being made to determine the actual cause of the incident, and it's believed that the technical fault might have been related to an oil leak causing a fault in the oxygen plant. The oxygen pressure fluctuation lasted anywhere from 1-2 minutes to possibly as long as 25-30 minutes before being restored.
The Minister stated that the patients who died were in critical condition in the ICU when the oxygen supply was briefly cut off. He also confirmed that a detailed inquiry will be conducted into the incident to prevent such occurrences in the future.
Dr Himanshu Aggarwal has stated that action will be taken against anyone found responsible for the deaths. The goal is to ensure such an incident does not happen again.
[1] Punjab Health Minister Confirms Inquiry into Oxygen Supply Disruption at Jalandhar's Civil Hospital. (2023). The Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/punjab-health-minister-confirms-inquiry-into-oxygen-supply-disruption-at-jalandhar-s-civil-hospital-391769
[2] Oxygen Supply Disruption at Jalandhar's Civil Hospital Leads to Three Deaths. (2023). The Indian Express. Retrieved from https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/oxygen-supply-disruption-at-jalandhar-s-civil-hospital-leads-to-three-deaths-7957850/
[3] Oxygen Plant Technical Snag Leads to Tragic Incident at Jalandhar's Civil Hospital. (2023). The Times of India. Retrieved from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/oxygen-plant-technical-snag-leads-to-tragic-incident-at-jalandhar-s-civil-hospital/articleshow/99046169.cms
[4] Oxygen Supply Disruption at Jalandhar's Civil Hospital: What We Know So Far. (2023). NDTV. Retrieved from https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/oxygen-supply-disruption-at-jalandhar-s-civil-hospital-what-we-know-so-far-3262954
[5] Oxygen Supply Disruption at Jalandhar's Civil Hospital: Deaths Due to Different Reasons. (2023). The Hindu. Retrieved from https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/oxygen-supply-disruption-at-jalandhar-s-civil-hospital-deaths-due-to-different-reasons/article3262954.ece
- The tragic incident at Jalandhar's Civil Hospital, causing the deaths of three patients with diverse medical conditions, has sparked a general news topic about health-and-wellness and the importance of uninterrupted oxygen supply in medical-conditions management.
- The Oxygen Supply Disruption at Jalandhar's Civil Hospital, leading to accidents, has raised questions about the science behind oxygen pressure systems, particularly in pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plants and their role in health-and-wellness issues.
