HC seeks affidavit on installation of automatic power switch-over at Rajindra Hospital

Less than three months after the Punjab and Haryana High Court described the absence of an automatic power switch-over at Patiala’s Rajindra Hospital as “shocking,” a Division Bench has directed the filing of an affidavit regarding its installation.

“Let an affidavit by the Managing Director of the PSPCL and the Chief Secretary of the State of Punjab be filed in response to the present application, especially on the point as to whether the automatic switch-over backup has been installed at Rajindra Hospital, Patiala or not.

If yes, then how, and if no, then why?” the Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel asserted, before fixing the matter for further hearing on May 19.

Punjab chief secretary KAP Sinha, on a previous date of hearing, had told the Bench that necessary instructions for installing the system in all government hospitals had been issued.

“Instructions to the Department of Health and Family Welfare have been issued to ensure putting auto-switchover facility on all DG sets/power backups installed in all government hospitals in the State of Punjab to eliminate the gap between power failure and the power backup becoming functional,” he said in an affidavit.

The matter was brought to the high court’s notice with the filing of a public interest litigation by advocate Sunaina. The Bench, during the course of hearing, had observed that a report submitted in court confirmed that the power outage occurred at 11:44 am on January 24 and was restored only at 11:57 am after 13 minutes. The backup power became functional at 11:46 am, as it had to be switched on manually.

The Bench had added that the report also made it clear that an automatic system for switch-over from regular electric supply to the DG-set was unavailable. The process took time, as it was required to be carried out manually.

The court had added that Rajindra Hospital was “one of the premier hospitals” in the district, catering to a large number of patients not only from Patiala but also adjoining districts. “In these modern times, it is of utmost importance that hospitals ought to have automatic switch-over from the normal electric supply line to the DG-set instantaneously,” the Bench had asserted.

Punjab