ICU patients shifted as AC remains defunct at Aundh District Hospital

HT had reported a news article on Friday, titled, ‘AC of Aundh District Hospital ICU not working for over a week’, highlighting the grim situation

The public health department shifted all patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Aundh District Hospital (ADH), which had a defunct heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system on Friday. All these patients have been shifted to another standby ICU facility, which is used during emergencies, said the officials.

The ICU, with a capacity of 14 beds, had been functioning for over a week without a working HVAC system after the motor of the air-conditioning unit malfunctioned. (HT FILE)

HT had reported a news article on Friday, titled, ‘AC of Aundh District Hospital ICU not working for over a week’, highlighting the grim situation. The ICU, with a capacity of 14 beds, had been functioning for over a week without a working HVAC system after the motor of the air-conditioning unit malfunctioned.

“The motor of the AC unit had failed and was sent to the public works department (PWD) for repair. Since the repair is expected to take longer than initially anticipated, we shifted all ICU patients to the standby ICU facility to ensure uninterrupted critical care,” said Dr Nagnath Yempalle, Pune district civil surgeon and head of ADH.

The ICU has 14 beds for both male and female patients and operates at almost full capacity. In the absence of air-conditioning, patients had opened doors, curtains and windows to allow ventilation. However, doctors said the HVAC system is essential in ICUs to maintain indoor air quality and reduce infection risks, particularly for vulnerable patients.

A patient’s relative, on request of anonymity, said, “We were worried when the ICU AC was not working because critically ill patients cannot tolerate heat. The room felt suffocating, and we feared it could worsen their condition. After the patients were shifted to another ICU with proper cooling, there was some relief. We hope the hospital repairs the system quickly so others do not face the same situation.”

According to officials, the standby ICU is originally used during emergencies, mass casualty incidents or when patient numbers increase during seasonal illness outbreaks. “The facility was activated to ensure continuity of care while repair work is underway. The PWD officials have taken the faulty motor for repair, but the restoration may take more time than initially expected. The patients will continue to receive treatment in the alternate ICU until the HVAC system in the main ICU is fully restored,” said Dr Kiran Khalate, physician at ADH.