Punjab minister promises probe into death of 3 patients in Jalandhar due to ‘fault’ in oxygen supply

Jalandhar, Jul 28 (PTI) Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh on Monday said a detailed probe will be conducted into the death of three patients at the civil hospital in Jalandhar, allegedly due to a technical fault in oxygen supply at the trauma centre.

After the three patients died on Sunday evening, the authorities at Shaheed Babu Labh Singh Civil Hospital acknowledged a dip in oxygen supply, but asserted that the backup oxygen cylinders were made functional within no time.

Among the patients, a 15-year-old was hospitalised with snake bite, the second was a drug overdose patient, while the third was suffering from tuberculosis.

All three were put on ventilators. A team of doctors from Chandigarh will independently probe the matter, Health Minister Singh told reporters after visiting the hospital on Monday.

He also said that while there was low pressure for just over a minute during the changeover, the backup oxygen system was immediately made operational.

The snake bite victim was not maintaining proper oxygen saturation even before the pressure briefly dropped, Singh said.

He also said that all three were "high-risk" patients with complications. Replying to a question, Singh said the patients did not die at the same time and there was a gap of a few minutes between their deaths.

Congress MLA from Jalandhar Cantonment Pargat Singh and Avtar Singh Junior, the Congress MLA from Jalandhar North, also visited the hospital, and blamed “lapses” for the death of the three patients.

Saying the health minister should have resigned after the incident, Avtar Singh said, "How were the bodies handed over to the next of kin without carrying out post-mortem? How will the cause of death be established now?” He also accused the government of "covering up the whole incident".

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said those responsible for "negligence must be booked for murder".

"This is not just criminal negligence, but murderous negligence and cold-blooded murder of three people. The tragic irony is that while they were put on ventilator, the oxygen supply got cut off and they lost their lives.

"This is murderous negligence and those responsible must be booked for murder," Warring said in a post on X.

A nine-member committee was formed after the incident, which will submit a report within two days, medical superintendent of the hospital, Raj Kumar, said on Sunday, even as the family members of the deceased blamed faulty oxygen supply behind the deaths.

Punjab Horticulture and Defence Services Welfare Minister Mohinder Bhagat also visited the hospital on Monday and held discussions with the authorities and health officials regarding the incident.

Expressing heartfelt condolences, Bhagat reiterated that the state government stands firmly with the bereaved families and will ensure accountability and necessary corrective actions following the findings of the inquiry. PTI SUN ARI