Four-Day Oxygen Outage Sparks Concern Over Hospital Management

A four‑day disruption of oxygen flow at the Shaheed Nirmal Mahato Medical College and Hospital has intensified scrutiny of the facility's leadership. The plant that normally supplies oxygen to every ward ceased operation on Monday, and repairs have yet to be completed.

Medical staff are under pressure to prioritize critically ill patients, while families wait anxiously in the outpatient area. Reports from on‑site personnel suggest that backup generators and cylinder reserves are insufficient for the volume of patients admitted daily.

The episode has prompted calls for a transparent audit of the plant's maintenance schedule and for the appointment of an independent technical team to oversee the restoration work. Health officials have been urged to allocate emergency funds to prevent a recurrence of such a debilitating supply failure.

Experts warn that prolonged oxygen deprivation can lead to increased mortality rates, especially among COVID‑19 and pneumonia sufferers who rely heavily on continuous oxygen therapy.