After back-up generators tripped, doctors at a Guntur government hospital were forced to help the patient in low light. (Source: YouTube)
Even though there are many technological and medical advancements in health sector, many countries – including India – often fall short of being able to provide the best care for patients because of lack of facilities, logistics or sheer callousness, which could be fatal. Be it the disheartening incident of surgeons fighting in an OT or when a woman was given acid in place of water at a private hospital in Bihar — these incidents make us question the state of health facilities. Now in a shocking video that is going viral, surgeons are seen performing an operation under a mobile phone torchlight. Yes, the footage is reportedly from a government hospital in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, and has caused a stir, people slammed the sorry conditions in which many Indian hospitals operate.
The incident apparently took place on February 10 at the Guntur General Hospital during a plastic surgery, but came into the light only when the video was leaked on social media and it went viral. Dr DS Raju Naidu, medical superintendent, of the Guntur Government General Hospital said that there was no electricity on February 10 as the Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh was doing regular maintenance work of power lines.
Disclaimer: This video contains content that viewers may find disturbing.
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Talking to the IndianExpress.com, Naidu clarified that the hospital had experienced power-offs a couple of times for a duration of 4-5 minutes and the power back-up always kicked in. “But at one such time, while back-up power kicked in, power was not restored to one side of one operation theatre, where a plastic surgery was going on.” When the back-up power was not restored after 30 seconds at the table where this particular surgery was being conducted but was restored at the next table, the surgeon thought the fuse might have tripped. As he asked his assistant to check, the doctor switched on the torch on his cell phone and started stitching. “Within 5 minutes normal power was also restored and the surgery went on fine,” he added.
He also explained as to why the procedure was recorded on camera, footage of which has now gone viral. “The surgery was being conducted under the Dr NTR Vaidya Seva Health Insurance scheme, so the entire operation was video recorded and photographed for record.” However, since the footage went viral, an inquiry has been launched by Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas.
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