Mohali, June 13 -- The civil hospital in Dera Bassi experienced a major power outage on Thursday, severely disrupting procedures in operation theatres (OTs), wards and corridors. The blackout, reportedly caused due to overloading of the hospital's power grid amid the ongoing heatwave, left the patients and staff in a state of panic and discomfort, sparking concerns over the hospital's emergency preparedness. Hospital authorities attributed the outage to excessive load on the electrical system. Taking note of the situation, Mohali deputy commissioner Komal Mittal ordered an inquiry and sought a detailed report from the civil surgeon. "The situation could have turned life-threatening, especially for patients in critical condition undergoing treatment. I have marked an inquiry and demanded a comprehensive report," she said. Senior medical officer Dr Dharmender Singh said, "The power supply snapped due to overloading, and unfortunately, being unable to handle the increased load, the generator sets also shut down." He claimed that electricity was restored within 25 minutes. However, patient attendants presented a different picture. Several alleged that the power outage lasted for nearly two hours during which critical wards and units remained without supply. "It was a complete chaos. Fans and lights went off and there was no communication from the staff," said one attendant who wished to remain anonymous. The blackout has underscored the vulnerability of public health infrastructure during extreme weather conditions. With temperatures in the region soaring above 45degC, power demand has spiked, leading to widespread outages in essential service facilities like hospitals, where even a brief disruption in supply can turn fatal for patients. The administration is now expected to review the emergency power systems at the civil hospital in Dera Bassi and across other government health institutions. Upgrading backup generators and ensuring maintenance of power infrastructure have been identified as urgent priorities to prevent future lapses....