Power fault at SMS hosp exposes maintenance lapses; panel to probe

Jaipur: A major fault in an electricity cable at SMS Hospital triggered a power disruption early Thursday morning, exposing serious lapses in maintenance coordination and emergency response systems.

The cable reportedly connected the transformer to several operation theatres and the emergency unit at the hospital. The incident occurred at a time when the operation theatres were not functioning, preventing any immediate impact on scheduled surgeries or critical procedures, according to hospital authorities.

The hospital administration has constituted a committee to investigate the cause of the fault. The panel has been asked to submit its report within three days. Notices have been served to the contractors for allegedly carrying out maintenance work without informing hospital authorities beforehand.

According to hospital officials, the disruption took place around 7.30 am and lasted for at least half an hour. During the incident, smoke was seen coming out of the transformer, raising concerns over the seriousness of the fault and the safety of the electrical infrastructure inside the hospital campus.

Hospital administration maintained that the emergency unit did not suffer any adverse impact because proper power backup arrangements were in place. However, the incident has still been treated as a serious matter, particularly after reports emerged that generator backup systems were not activated during the disruption, pointing to weaknesses in the hospital’s emergency preparedness mechanism.

Preliminary information suggested that the disruption was linked to transformer oil replacement work being carried out after smoke was spotted. Officials said the hospital’s electricity wing and maintenance teams had not been informed in advance about the work or the shutdown.

A senior hospital official said the incident requires a thorough probe to determine responsibility and ensure such disruptions do not recur in a critical healthcare facility.