28-07-2025
Three ICU patients die at Jalandhar civil hospital, families blame fault in oxygen supply
CHANDIGARH: Three patients on ventilator support at the Civil Hospital here died late on Sunday night after a sudden disruption in oxygen supply reportedly due to a technical fault at the hospital's trauma centre ICU. The incident has triggered a political storm and prompted the Punjab government to initiate an inquiry.
The families of the deceased alleged that their loved ones lost their lives because oxygen supply was snapped due to a glitch in the hospital's central system. They claimed the hospital failed to act swiftly, leading to the deaths.
Hospital authorities, however, denied the allegations, maintaining that there was only a temporary dip in oxygen pressure and that backup cylinders were made functional 'within no time.'
Medical Superintendent Dr Raj Kumar Baddhan confirmed the formation of a nine-member committee to probe the incident. 'There was an oil leak in the oxygen plant which caused a technical fault and disrupted supply for some time. The issue was fixed, but unfortunately, the patients could not be saved,' he said.
Senior Medical Officer Vinay Anand said, 'There was a dip in pressure, but the backup system was activated immediately. The main plant was also restored during the same time.' He dismissed the families' allegations, asserting that 'the causes of death have been documented in each patient's medical file.'
Sources said the deceased included a snakebite victim, a young man admitted for drug overdose, and a TB patient — all of whom were on ventilator support at the time of the incident.
Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh said a team from Chandigarh would visit the hospital to investigate the matter. 'The glitch happened during a change in oxygen supply. We will wait for the committee's findings,' he added.
Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal said that an investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of death, and any further action will be based on the report's outcome.
Meanwhile, Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma visited the hospital and slammed the Aam Aadmi Party-led state government for the incident. 'This is a complete failure of the healthcare system. The government made many promises before the elections but has failed to deliver. A full and transparent investigation is needed,' he said.
