Power outage at KCSSH,officials say patients are safe

Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital in Guindy experienced a power outage, but patients on ventilator support were immediately secured.

The Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital (KCSSH) in Guindy experienced a power outage from 7.30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday. However, patients on ventilator support were immediately secured and were safe, officials said.

Health Secretary Supriya Sahu, who rushed to the hospital, said the power outage occurred after the main power cable was burnt in a small fire and two cables from the generator were also burnt. This occurred around 7.30 p.m. “We mobilised generators and ensured that the ventilators were immediately brought back online without a break. All the 15 patients on ventilator support are doing well,” she said. The Public Works Department and Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation took up work and restored power supply at 9 p.m., she added.

There are a total of 419 patients admitted to the hospital and all of them are fine, Ms. Sahu added. “There is nothing to worry about. We want to ensure that the burnt cables are also replaced, and the back-up is in place,” she said.

Sources said ventilators had adequate battery back-up and patients in the intensive care unit were immediately secured. With maintenance work in progress, an audit to ascertain the cause of the power outage, whether it was short circuit or a glitch during the rain, will be taken up, they said.