Power Outage at Ballari Hospital Forces Doctors to Use Mobile Torch for Surgery Amid Widespread Outrage
The standards of healthcare facilities in Karnataka, doctors at the Super Speciality Trauma Centre in Ballari were forced to use the flashlight of a mobile phone to stitch a patient’s wound during a power outage on Thursday evening. The situation has sparked outrage among locals, who are blaming the hospital’s poor infrastructure and lack of maintenance for the unfortunate event.
The power failure, which lasted for around 15 to 20 minutes, occurred at a critical time when emergency patients were being treated. A relative of the injured patient, who had been rushed to the trauma centre after an accident, recounted the terrifying ordeal. “Around 7 pm, the power went out suddenly. The hospital staff didn’t respond immediately, and we could see the doctors struggling. In the end, they had no choice but to use the flashlight of a mobile phone to complete the stitches,” the relative said. The trauma centre, which was set up two years ago as a collaboration between the Union and state governments, has faced ongoing criticism regarding its infrastructure, staffing, and overall management. Despite its objective of providing specialised care to patients in emergency situations, reports indicate that the centre has been plagued with operational issues from the start.
What if something went wrong during that surgery? Could the lack of proper lighting have caused complications for the patient? These are questions that many locals are now asking in light of the incident. While the doctors managed to complete the procedure successfully under extremely difficult circumstances, it raises serious concerns about the adequacy of resources in a government-run hospital, particularly when the lives of patients are at stake. The trauma centre’s failure to maintain basic facilities during an emergency is not an isolated incident. Locals claim that lapses in hospital management and delays in responding to power outages have been common at the facility. Patients who rely on critical medical equipment like ventilators were particularly vulnerable during the outage, which only adds to the growing anxiety about the state of public healthcare in Karnataka.
The incident highlights a concerning pattern of healthcare negligence in the state. In another troubling case earlier this year, a nurse at a government hospital in Karnataka was suspended for using Fevikwik, a commercial adhesive, instead of proper stitches to treat a child’s deep facial wound. This incident, which was filmed by the child’s parents, has led to widespread outrage and raised serious questions about the training and standards of healthcare workers in the state’s public hospitals. These disturbing incidents point to the urgent need for reforms in the healthcare system, particularly in government-run facilities that cater to the most vulnerable sections of society. The Ballari trauma centre incident, though resolved without incident, raises critical questions: What if the surgery had gone wrong? What if the doctors had been unable to perform the procedure due to the lack of proper lighting?
While the healthcare professionals involved in this situation should be commended for their resourcefulness and successful completion of the surgery, the question remains whether the hospital system in Karnataka is adequately prepared for the emergencies it is meant to handle. For the thousands of patients who rely on government hospitals, these incidents cast a shadow over the trust they place in the healthcare system and highlight the urgent need for immediate attention to improve standards. As Karnataka grapples with these issues, it’s clear that stronger infrastructure, better staffing, and more reliable facilities are essential for ensuring that such lapses do not jeopardise patient care in the future.
