Noida: ICU patients survive oxygen pipe leak scare after short-circuit

Eight ICU patients in Noida narrowly escaped a high-pressure oxygen leak due to a short circuit; all were safely relocated with no casualties reported.

Noida: Eight patients in intensive care unit (ICU) of a private hospital in Noida Sector 66 narrowly escaped on Sunday afternoon after an oxygen pipeline installed in the false ceiling allegedly developed a high-pressure leakage following a short-circuit, said fire officials, adding that no casualties, however, were reported as the hospital staff shifted all the patients to another ward.

Dr. Anuj Tripathi, director of the hospital, said, “As soon as we came to know about the incident, the staff was immediately directed to turn off the MCB in order to prevent the fire from spreading to a larger area.” (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The incident took place at Mark Hospital and Trauma Center, located in the Mamura area.

Talking to HT, the hospital director said that the staff was immediately directed to turn off the Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB) of the ICU, and the fault was repaired within an hour, after which emergency services were resumed.

“On Sunday around 12.20 pm, the fire control room received information from the staff of a private hospital that a blast had occurred inside the ICU ward,” said Gautam Budh Nagar’s chief fire officer Pradeep Kumar Chaubey, adding that upon receiving the information two fire tenders from nearby fire stations were immediately dispatched.

“It was found that a high-pressure leakage had taken place in the oxygen pipeline passing through the false ceiling of the ICU ward. But no fire was reported,” he added.

Dr. Anuj Tripathi, director of the hospital, said, “As soon as we came to know about the incident, the staff was immediately directed to turn off the MCB in order to prevent the fire from spreading to a larger area.”

“A short circuit occurred inside the false ceiling, which heated up the adjacent oxygen pipe, causing a minor high-pressure leakage. We immediately shifted the eight patients admitted in the ICU to another ward in the hospital and used portable oxygen cylinders to continue the supply of oxygen to the patients. No casualties or any other issues were reported,” said Tripathi, adding, “We extinguished the short circuit using a fire extinguisher. As a precautionary measure, the fire department was alerted to check after which the fault was repaired and services in the emergency ward resumed.”