NEW DELHI: Dozens of surgeries were stalled and emergency admissions were affected at AIIMS after its departments and operation theatres were inundated by rainwater due to the heavy downpour in the national capital on Friday.

Nine operation theatres of Trauma Centre and Cardio Neurosciences Centre (CNC), where critically-ill patients are admitted, had to be shut as water seeped in through walls and accumulated on the ground.

The hospital faced power-cut and the electricity supply was restored after 4 pm.

Meanwhile, the hospital issued an order asking patients coming to emergency requiring surgeries to be referred to Safdarjung or another government hospital.

“In a discussion with NS OT Sister in-charge, MS (CNC) and the chief CN Centre, all the OT’s are non-functional due to non- functioning of the air-conditioning and also water seepage from the walls. Hence, no case can be operated. Any patients coming to emergency requiring surgery, the same kindly be referred to either Safdarjung or any other government hospital. If there is a case, which has to be done urgently, may kindly be taken up in the trauma center after discussing with the concerned faculty,” the order read.

While the CNC and national centre of Aging faced a mega power-cut, the basement of Trauma Centre was submerged in the rainwater where all electrical equipment was kept. “The ACs of the operation theater stopped working and at many places the electrical equipment of the hospital became non-functional. Even the lifts in one of the hospital buildings remained closed for a long time,” a senior official said.

Official sources said that the hospital’s emergency also remained impacted for hours as the department was water logged. However, it was soon restored, AIIMSspokesperson Dr Rima Dada told this newspaper.

“A few patients who couldn’t get admitted to the casualty were referred to other government hospitals,” Dada said, adding that the doctors took up a few surgeries after the power was restored.

Source: The Indian Express