Gurgaon: A 56-second video showing a Caesarean section being completed under the light of a mobile phone torch during a power outage at Palwal District Civil Hospital has triggered disciplinary proceedings against an anaesthesiologist, with a departmental inquiry concluding that he recorded the procedure without the patient’s consent and circulated it in an official WhatsApp group of more than 200 colleagues.The committee termed the act “a grave breach of patient privacy, medical ethics and govt conduct rules”, while also uncovering multiple lapses inside the operation theatre and shortcomings in the hospital’s emergency power preparedness.Confirming the inquiry, deputy civil surgeon Sanjay Sharma said, “A committee investigated the July 9 incident and has submitted its report to the director-general of health services (DGHS), Haryana, for further action.”The preliminary inquiry report, accessed by TOI, and a supplementary file submitted on July 13 — which broadly reiterates its findings — mentioned that the incident occurred around 10pm on July 9 during a lower segment Caesarean section (LSCS). By the time electricity failed, the baby and placenta had already been delivered and shifted to the special newborn care unit. By then, surgeons were completing the final suturing.According to the committee, the operation theatre’s inverter failed to provide immediate backup and the generator took a few minutes to restore power. While witnesses estimated the blackout lasted between five and 10 minutes, a live generator test conducted on July 11 indicated the interruption was about three to five minutes. During this period, the operating surgeon completed the procedure using the torch on his mobile phone.The report said anaesthesiologist Mukesh Sarang recorded the scene on his personal phone and posted it in the “PMO” WhatsApp group without obtaining consent from the patient, her family, the operating surgeon or senior hospital authorities.In his statement, Sarang said he recorded the clip only to alert senior officials to the emergency caused by the power failure and had no intention of leaking it. He also said he asked for the video to be deleted within minutes, after which it was removed from the group.The committee, however, concluded that filming and sharing the procedure constituted a serious violation of patient confidentiality. It also cited witness statements and other circumstances which, according to the report, suggested the video’s circulation was not inadvertent.The inquiry further flagged several procedural lapses inside the operation theatre. It said members of the surgical team did not wear masks and caps despite protective gear being available, and surgical instruments were placed on the patient’s body instead of designated trays. It noted that poor visibility during the blackout may have contributed to the latter lapse.The report also highlighted deficiencies in emergency preparedness, noting that the OT inverter battery had been replaced only hours before surgery without verification, besides the absence of a dedicated electrician roster and a formal mechanism to report electrical faults.The committee has recommended departmental proceedings against Sarang, show-cause notices to the operating surgeon and OT assistant, action against the staff nurse through the National Health Mission, and disciplinary action against the HKRNL supervisor and electrician responsible for the backup power system. The report has been forwarded to the DGHS for a decision.
