3 Doctors Suspended After Oxygen Supply Fault Causes Deaths In Jalandhar Hospital

Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh on Wednesday announced the suspension of three doctors after three patients died due to a technical fault in the oxygen supply at a civil hospital in Jalandhar.

A detailed inquiry into the incident will be conducted, and the three suspended doctors -- medical superintendent Dr. Raj Kumar, senior medical officer Dr. Surjit Singh, and consultant anesthetist Dr.

Sonakshi -- may face removal or dismissal from service, the minister informed while addressing the media here on Wednesday. Singh described the incident as an "unpardonable act".

"When I got the news I was so upset and I reached the hospital immediately to take stock of the situation. It was an unpardonable act," said the minister.

On July 27, three patients at Jalandhar Civil Hospital died after their families claimed the deaths were caused by a technical fault in the oxygen supply at the trauma centre.

Hospital authorities at Shaheed Babu Labh Singh Civil Hospital acknowledged a brief dip in oxygen supply but maintained that backup oxygen cylinders were promptly activated.

The patients included a 15-year-old admitted for a snake bite, a drug overdose patient, and a tuberculosis patient -- all of whom were on ventilators at the time.