Electricity – Jaipur Hospital Power Failure Disrupts Surgeries and Critical Medical Services
Electricity – A power disruption at Jaipur’s Janana Hospital in Chandpole Bazar interrupted several medical services for nearly three hours on Thursday, affecting scheduled surgeries, laboratory work, and blood bank operations. Hospital authorities said emergency departments continued to function after backup power was directed to the most critical units while engineers worked to restore the electricity supply.
A prolonged electricity outage at the 550-bed government hospital affected normal patient care during the morning hours. According to hospital officials, the disruption was reportedly linked to a short circuit. While emergency medical care continued, at least one planned Caesarean delivery had to be postponed, and patients requiring immediate attention were shifted to an operation theatre that remained functional through an independent power supply.
Essential Medical Services Faced Temporary Disruptions
Besides delaying surgeries, the outage also affected blood bank activities, including blood sample processing and diagnostic reporting. Laboratory services experienced interruptions, causing delays for patients awaiting test results. The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and ventilator-supported areas were also impacted, although hospital staff arranged alternative measures to ensure critically ill patients continued receiving necessary care.
Hospital administrators stated that emergency medical services remained operational despite the challenging situation, with available backup systems being used where required.
Hospital Administration Prioritised Emergency Units
Hospital Superintendent Dr. Nupur Loria said the hospital had a dedicated operation theatre equipped with an independent power connection and emergency backup, allowing urgent procedures to continue despite the outage.
She explained that electricity was interrupted between approximately 10:30 am and 10:45 am. Although power returned briefly, fluctuations during the transition to generator supply resulted in another shutdown.
According to Dr. Loria, the hospital’s generator was not designed to provide electricity to the entire 550-bed facility. As a result, available backup power was immediately allocated to the labour room, operation theatre, nursery, NICU, and blood bank, as these departments required uninterrupted medical support.
She added that hospital officials acted quickly once it became clear that restoring the main power supply would take longer than expected.
Investigation Into Cause of Outage Underway
Regarding the reason behind the disruption, Dr. Loria said officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) would determine the exact cause after completing their assessment.
She also highlighted that measures are already being implemented to reduce the chances of similar incidents in the future. A new hospital building currently under construction will receive backup electricity from three separate sources. In addition, a new power line has already been installed to strengthen the facility’s electrical infrastructure.
The hospital has also significantly increased its power capacity. While earlier plans aimed to raise the electrical load from 650 kVA to 900 kVA, authorities have now expanded the capacity directly to 1,500 kVA to improve reliability and support future operational needs.
Patients Reported Delays in Scheduled Procedures
Several patients and their family members said the outage caused unexpected delays in planned surgeries.
Meenu Sain, who had been scheduled for a Caesarean section, said her procedure could not begin because electricity was unavailable. She explained that another surgery was already in progress when the power failed, resulting in further delays. She estimated that the outage had already lasted around two hours while she waited.
Another attendant, Najma, said her daughter’s operation had also been scheduled for the day. According to her, the surgery had not yet started when the electricity supply was interrupted. After waiting for some time, hospital staff shifted her daughter to another location within the hospital as they managed the emergency situation.
Despite the disruption, hospital authorities maintained that priority medical services continued through emergency backup arrangements while restoration work remained in progress.