Kapurthala, Aug 2: The oxygen generation plant at Kapurthala Civil Hospital has been shut down indefinitely due to a shortage of trained staff, compelling the facility to depend solely on oxygen cylinders for critical care. The shutdown comes close on the heels of a recent failure at Jalandhar Civil Hospital, where three patients died after the oxygen supply system malfunctioned.
According to hospital authorities, the plant has been non-functional for several days, though an exact duration was not specified. Senior Medical Officer Dr Indu Bala confirmed the operational halt, citing the absence of qualified personnel to run and maintain the oxygen unit. “There is no available personnel to operate and maintain the oxygen plant. Despite repeated requests and prior complaints to the health authorities, no staff has been deputed so far,” she said.
Hospital officials claimed that formal complaints were submitted to both district and state-level health authorities, but no corrective action has been taken. A senior doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “We are being forced to work in a high-risk environment without basic operational support. This is not just administrative failure — this is endangering lives.”
The incident has triggered concerns about the Punjab Health Department’s preparedness and responsiveness. Healthcare professionals and experts say that lapses in maintaining essential infrastructure like oxygen plants compromise the emergency response capacity of public hospitals, particularly during health crises or patient surges.
With no clear timeline for restoration or staffing assurance from the health department, the hospital remains vulnerable to potential oxygen shortages, raising alarm over systemic neglect in critical care support.
