Archive · 6 Nov 2025
KGH Power Outage Disrupts Patient Care for Hours
Imagine a big hospital, King George Hospital, lost its electricity on Thursday.
This happened because workers accidentally cut a power cable while building something nearby.
For many hours, important parts of the hospital, like the children's ward and women's ward, had no lights or fans.
This made it very hot and difficult for patients, especially those who needed special machines to breathe.
The hospital has backup generators for very important areas like the ICU, so those stayed on.
But other patients had to wait a long time for the power to come back on, causing a lot of worry and discomfort.
The hospital is working to fix the cable, but it's taking a long time.
A major power outage occurred at King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.
The outage began around 1:45 p.m. due to accidental damage to a critical power cable during construction.
Several wards, including orthopaedic, paediatrics, and women's, were left without electricity for hours.
Patients experienced distress due to the lack of power, ventilation, and essential medical equipment.
While emergency units had generator backup, other wards remained affected late into the night, highlighting infrastructure challenges.
- Who
- Patients, attendants, and medical staff at King George Hospital (KGH)
- What
- A major power outage disrupted patient care for hours, affecting several key wards.
- When
- Thursday, starting around 1:45 p.m., with power not fully restored late into the night.
- Where
- King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam
- Why
- Accidental damage to a critical power cable during ongoing construction work near the hospital's critical care unit.
Patient and Attendant Experience
Hospital Administration and Government Response
Duration and Impact of Outage
Patient and Attendant Experience
Patients and relatives experienced unbearable conditions with no power, ventilation, or essential medical equipment for hours, with promises of restoration not being met.
Hospital Administration and Government Response
Hospital administration acknowledged a disconnected cable and technical teams worked to restore power. Health Minister stated essential services were running on generators and work was in progress for full restoration.
Infrastructure Challenges
Patient and Attendant Experience
The repeated outages highlight long-standing infrastructure challenges at KGH, forcing patients to endure difficult conditions.
Hospital Administration and Government Response
Emergency units were running on generator backup, indicating some level of preparedness for power disruptions.
- Hospital
- King George Hospital (KGH)
- Location
- Visakhapatnam
- Date of Outage
- Thursday
- Approximate Start Time
- 1:45 p.m.
- Cause
- Accidental damage to a critical power cable during construction
- Affected Wards
- Orthopaedic, paediatrics, women’s, Rajendra, and Bhavanagar wards
- Generator Backup
- Available for ICU, NICU, and CSR blocks