Punjab acts after HC rap: Automatic switch-over system for all govt hospitals

Less than 10 days after the Punjab and Haryana High Court described the absence of an automatic power switch-over system at Rajindra Hospital in Patiala as “shocking,” Punjab chief secretary KAP Sinha on Tuesday told the Bench that necessary instructions for installing the system in all government hospitals had been issued.

“Instructions to the Department of Health and Family Welfare have been issued to ensure the installation of automatic switch-over facilities on all DG sets/power backups installed in all government hospitals in the State of Punjab to eliminate the gap between power failure and the power backup becoming functional,” he said in an affidavit.

Taking note of the affidavit, the Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel disposed of the matter.

“It is not surprising but shocking to note that in a public establishment like a hospital, where an electric disruption of even a few seconds can be fatal for certain patients, especially those on life support, the electric supply was disrupted for 13 minutes. Though the backup was available, it took two minutes to become functional because it had to be operated manually,” the Bench had earlier asserted while hearing a public interest litigation filed by advocate Sunaina in person.