PANAJI
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has ordered a detailed inquiry into the prolonged power outage reported at the North Goa District Hospital in Mapusa on Monday evening, raising concerns over patient safety and the hospital's emergency response systems.
In a statement issued on his official social media platform, Rane said he has requested the State Health Secretary to conduct a comprehensive examination of the incident, including the reasons behind the outage, the adequacy and functioning of backup power systems, and the response mechanism activated during the emergency.
The outage occurred on Monday evening and reportedly lasted nearly four hours, leaving patients, attendants and hospital staff struggling amid rising temperatures.
“A power outage lasting several hours at a healthcare facility is a matter of serious concern, particularly when critically ill patients and those dependent on ventilator support could be placed at risk. Accountability must be fixed wherever lapses are identified, and all necessary measures must be taken to ensure such an incident is never repeated. Patient safety and uninterrupted healthcare services cannot be compromised,” Rane said.
According to the minister, the inquiry will seek to determine what caused the failure and whether existing backup arrangements functioned as intended during the disruption.
During the blackout, family members of patients, particularly those waiting outside the labour ward, expressed frustration over the prolonged delay in restoring electricity. Some attendants said they were initially informed that power would return within an hour, but the outage continued for nearly four hours.
