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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No need for guv: DMK leader Kanimozhi
Chennai (PTI): Senior DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday reiterated her party’s opposition to the office of the governor amid uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu after a fractured election mandate.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Kanimozhi emphasised that the DMK’s demand for the abolition of the governor’s post remained unchanged, especially as questions arise over constitutional propriety during the current political transition.
"Our position that we do not need a governor at all is something the DMK has never changed at any point in time," she said.
When asked about the governor’s actions following the election results—particularly the delay in inviting the leading party to form the government—Kanimozhi pointed to what she described as the "inherent friction" between the office of the governor and the political interests of the state.
She said the current situation "raises a lot of questions" and requires introspection regarding constitutional procedures.
Kanimozhi described the election results as lacking a "clear mandate", which she identified as the primary reason for the prevailing political uncertainty in the state.
"What the people decide is supreme," she said, adding that while the mandate was not decisive, it must be respected.
The Thoothukudi MP attributed the ongoing delays and "many confusions" to the absence of a decisive majority for any single party.
She firmly dismissed rumours about the DMK potentially supporting the AIADMK from outside to help stabilise the government.
She described such reports as mere "speculation" and "rumours".
"We can’t be responding to every rumour," she said, declining to comment on the AIADMK’s claims regarding its numbers to form the government.
The political situation in Tamil Nadu remains fluid as stakeholders await the governor’s next constitutional step in an Assembly where no party has secured a clear majority.
The DMK and AIADMK—both of which suffered significant losses to the TVK—are reportedly exploring tactical manoeuvres to navigate the hung Assembly.
The TVK, with 108 seats and the support of Congress’s five MLAs, is still short of the majority mark. The DMK and AIADMK secured 59 and 47 seats, respectively.
