Electricity goes off in hospital during surgery in Punjab, BJP slams AAP govt
Patiala, Jan 24 (PTI): Opposition BJP on Friday slammed the ruling AAP in Punjab after a government doctor's video purportedly highlighting the plight due to a momentary loss of electricity during a surgery in a hospital here went viral.
The nearly a minute-long video shows a team of doctors performing surgery on a patient. One of the doctors says, "It is not the first time that the electricity supply in the main emergency of the government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala has been erratic."
It has been a few minutes since the power shutdown and how we will operate under such circumstances, the doctor says in the viral video, and asks will the doctors be responsible if anything happens to the patient.
"The patient is intubated, the surgery is going on, but there is no electricity...," he says.
A member of the doctors' team is seen manually ventilating the intubated patient who is undergoing the operation.
Union Minister of State and BJP leader Ravneet Bittu, in a post on X, hit out at the AAP dispensation.
He alleged that the deteriorated condition of medical facilities as well as electricity -- the two things AAP promised to improve -- have been exposed in a very painful manner. A surgeon of the hospital had to come on camera to issue a disclaimer that a patient might lose his life during the surgery due to erratic electricity supply.
"The CM and his ministers have deserted Punjab and shifted to Delhi just to please their dictator Kejriwal. But at what cost?" Bittu said in his post.
Punjab's Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh said, "The power backup systems at the Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, are multi level (three hotlines) and functioning without any issue.
"Today, a local fault led to a momentary loss of electricity. The UPS and generator backup functioned seamlessly and the surgery was conducted without any issue. The patient is recovering well. Unfortunately, a junior doctor panicked and recorded the video. The medical staff must remain focussed on patient care at all times," the Punjab Minister posted on X.
The power backup systems at Rajindra hospital, Patiala are multi level (3 hotlines) & functioning without issue. Today, a local fault led to momentary loss of electricity. The UPS and generator backup functioned seamlessly & the surgery was conducted without issue. Patient is… pic.twitter.com/gPmjJy9R5x
— Dr Balbir Singh (@AAPbalbir) January 24, 2025
Media Expose Exclusive !
— Media Expose (@MediaExpose_) January 24, 2025
We bring to you the actual state of Power Supply in @AamAadmiParty run Punjab, where a Power failure stopped a Surgery that was being conducted in Patiala's Rajendra Hospital. Even Ventilator stopped after few minutes.
It’s election time in Delhi, where… pic.twitter.com/GHfWwAg3Rf
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Population control policies, UCC require public cooperation: RSS chief
Mysuru (Karnataka) (PTI): RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said population control policies and the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code required public cooperation and long-term thinking, and asserted that caste-based politics would disappear only when society stopped identifying with caste divisions.
Addressing an interaction session after delivering a lecture on "Social Harmony as a Catalyst for National Development" at JSS Mahavidyapeetha here, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief also called for harmony among religions and communities. He urged people to practise equality in social life through conduct rather than slogans.
"Because society remembers caste, politicians take advantage of it. Their legitimate aim is to get votes. If they cannot get votes through work, they will get votes through caste," he said.
Replying to a question on the Population Control Bill and Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Bhagwat said the RSS was not the government but a social organisation and emphasised that laws could succeed only with public participation.
"People must first be educated. Policy is necessary, but policy can only succeed with public cooperation," he said.
Referring to population control measures during the Emergency period, Bhagwat said aggressive enforcement had led to public resentment and political backlash.
