No power due to flooding: Midnight surgeries at AIIMS for lost day time

AIIMS doctors in New Delhi performed 350 surgeries till midnight after power was restored due to waterlogging shutting down most operation theatres.

Doctors at the neurosurgery department of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi continued to operate patients till midnight on Friday to make up for time lost during the day when electrical installations supplying power to most operation theatres in the hospital were temporarily shut down due to waterlogging.

Most of the electrical installations supplying power to all but one operation theatre in AIIMS Delhi’s trauma centre are in the basement area of the buildings that got filled up with water due to Friday’s unusually heavy downpour. (HT PHOTO)

Almost 350 surgeries were performed in the hospital from Friday evening — when power was switched back on — till midnight, according to the hospital spokesperson.

“The director and additional director of the hospital took stock of the situation but due to a power cut by the authorities — New Delhi Municipal Commission (NDMC) — as a precautionary measure, our operation theatres were shut till 4pm. After power was restored, we restarted operation theatres and surgeries were performed till midnight,” said Dr Rima Dada, in-charge, AIIMS’ media and protocol division on Saturday.

Some of the surgery patients were also referred to the nearby Safdarjung Hospital.

Operation theatres at the hospital’s standalone trauma centre, however, are yet to fully resume functioning. Most of the electrical installations supplying power to all but one operation theatre in the trauma centre are in the basement area of the buildings that got filled up with water due to Friday’s unusually heavy downpour.

“The water in the basement of the trauma centre cleared out but since everything was still wet it could have led to short-circuiting. The engineers did not want to take any chances; therefore, it could take a bit longer for all operation theatres to be up and running as they will wait for it to dry up properly. There is one burns operation theatre working to manage critical surgeries,” said Dr Dada.

She also said that the administrative staff has been working on a “war footing” to ensure all operation theatres become fully functional as soon as possible.

According to data shared by the hospital, 347 patients underwent surgery and 10,553 patients were seen in different outpatient departments (OPDs) on Friday in the main AIIMS. In addition, 1,028 patients were admitted into the hospital.

“Critical patients were managed by our teams — it was mostly the neurosurgery operation theatres and facilities in the trauma centre that got impacted. Neurosurgery operation theatres were working normally after 6pm on Friday when NDMC restored the power supply. It is being ensured that operation theatres in the trauma centre also are made functional,” added Dr Dada.