Three patients on ventilators die amid fault in Jalandhar civil hospital oxygen plant

JALANDHAR: Three patients on ventilators in the trauma centre of Civil Hospital in Punjab's Jalandhar town died within a span of around 35 minutes after an alleged malfunction in the oxygen plant on Sunday night.A high-level inquiry was ordered into the fatalities that occurred between 7.15 pm and 7.50 pm.Medical superintendent Dr Raj Kumar Badhan admitted to a fault in the oxygen plant, but added that they have a backup system, including another plant and oxygen cylinders."We have formed a nine-member committee to probe the incident. It will submit a report within two days. In case any negligence is found, action will be taken," he said, adding that two other patients on ventilators in the same ward were not affected.The victims were identified as 15-year-old Archna, a snakebite patient admitted on July 17; Avtar Chand, a recovering drug addict brought in on July 25; and Raju, who was battling tuberculosis with kidney complications.The incident drew political attention, with former Jalandhar MP Sushil Rinku and other BJP functionaries rushing to the hospital.In a statement, Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh called the tragedy a failure of the state govt. "When life-saving systems fail in hospitals, it exposes a govt that prioritises image-building over life-saving," he said, adding that the govt was focusing and spending more on its propaganda.