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Jalandhar civil hospital deaths: Probe finds non-technical Class-4 employee was handling oxygen plant
Investigation also raises concerns about pressure sensors which failed to alert staff about low oxygen levels
A preliminary investigation into the death of three patients at the Jalandhar civil hospital has revealed gross negligence on the part of the hospital authorities. The probe found that a non-technical Class-4 employee was deployed at the hospital’s oxygen plant, leading to a disruption in oxygen supply that caused the deaths of three critically ill patients in the trauma centre.
On July 27 evening, the patients admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital’s trauma centre died after the supply was disrupted from the pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plant when it developed a snag. The plant produces medical-grade oxygen on the hospital premises.
The investigation, led by a team of doctors and officials from the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC), found that on July 27, a malfunction in the PSA plant caused the oxygen supply to the trauma centre to falter. However, instead of a trained technician overseeing the plant, a contractual ward attendant — a non-technical employee — was on duty at the time of the incident.
“On reviewing the duty roster, it was confirmed that a non-technical Class-4 employee was handling the PSA plant operations that evening. The staff member, typically assigned to work as a ward attendant, was deployed in place of a trained technician,” an official involved in the investigation said.
The oxygen shortage went unnoticed until 6.30pm, when the first patient on ventilator support began showing symptoms of low oxygen levels. The trauma centre informed the PSA plant about the issue around 6.50pm, 20 minutes after the first signs of oxygen deprivation. The Class-4 employee manually switched the oxygen supply from the PSA plant to backup turbo cylinders in under two minutes, according to the preliminary probe.
Three patients, including a 15-year-old snake-bite victim, a 32-year-old drug overdose patient, and a 30-year-old lung disease patient, died between 7.15pm and 7.50pm due to insufficient oxygen supply.
Further investigation revealed that the hospital’s oxygen plant had been understaffed. The hospital had two contractual technicians for the PSA plant, but one was on leave and the other had finished their shift on the evening of the incident. Additionally, the two vacant technician posts had remained unfilled due to low wages and high staff turnover.
The investigation also raised concerns about the oxygen pressure sensors in the trauma centre, which had failed to alert staff about the low oxygen levels earlier. The issue was only detected after the patients showed signs of oxygen deprivation.
Jalandhar civil hospital medical superintendent Dr Raj Kumar said the plant is usually operated by two trained technicians, with a ward attendant assigned as a reliever. He said the hospital staff acted promptly to address the issue once it was detected. “All doctors and support staff acted promptly. The probe panel is investigating the matter and it will submit its report to the state headquarters,” he said.
Health minister Dr Balbir Singh has ordered a time-bound inquiry into the incident. The investigation team has been directed to submit a report, and the hospital authorities have vowed to take strict action based on the findings.
