Jalandhar, July 30 — Punjab Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh on Tuesday announced strict action against four doctors over the deaths of three critically ill patients at Jalandhar’s Civil Hospital, calling it a case of “unpardonable negligence.”
The patients died late Sunday night after an oxygen supply glitch lasted for nearly 25 to 30 minutes, during which the hospital reportedly failed to shift them to backup support despite having four oxygen sources available.
“The incident is deeply unfortunate. I feel sorry that we could not save the lives of critically ill patients,” Dr. Singh said. He attributed the deaths to the failure of hospital leadership and staff on duty. “There were four sources of oxygen at the hospital, but poor management led to the deaths. This reflects a callous and negligent attitude,” he added.
Following a technical committee’s investigation, Medical Superintendent Dr. Raj Kumar, Senior Medical Officer Dr. Surjit Singh, and Consultant Anaesthetist Dr. Sunakshi have been placed under suspension. The House Surgeon on duty, Dr. Shivinder Singh, has been dismissed with immediate effect.
“The negligence was unpardonable and cannot be tolerated. Exemplary punishment has to be given to ensure accountability,” said the Health Minister.
Dr. Singh also confirmed that further disciplinary action is being considered. “A detailed inquiry will continue, and the remaining doctors may also face dismissal with loss of retirement benefits,” he said.
The state health department has come under pressure to strengthen crisis response systems in public hospitals after the tragedy raised questions about protocol failures and emergency preparedness.
