Generator facility is extremely important in hospitals in case of power outage. However in Asia’s second largest hospital – Medical, this service has been neglected and could be seen on Friday night but a major catastrophe was averted.
Electricity supply snapped at 2 am on Friday night and the neonatal ventilators in the pediatric department ICU shut down, and five infants developed breathing problems. However the doctors and staff took immediate action and five infants were given ambu bag, which saved their lives. Shockingly, electricity supply remained disconnected for six hours.
Medical has its own electricity department to ensure that electricity supply is not disconnected while the electricity distribution company too has made special arrangements to provide uninterrupted electricity supply to the hospital.
There are two large generators to provide electricity in case of outage. But after Friday night’s incident questions have been raised over the facilities and precautions for uninterrupted electricity.
Relatives of patients in PICU said that, electricity supply disconnected at 2 am on Friday. Within 10 minutes doctors and nurses sprang into action. Relatives are not allowed in the PICU and crowds increased at the door.
Doctors called one relative of each patient inside. They saw that some children were gasping for breath while others were foaming at the mouth. Even as the relatives began crying, the doctors and nurse donned ambu masks on the infants.
Throughout the night the infants were manually administered air by pressing the air balloons with one hand. Electricity resumed at 3.30 am and again disconnected. It resumed after 8 am. The relatives said that the infants were saved due to the alertness of the doctors and staff.