Elderly woman unplugged oxygen port to recharge her mobile phone

An elderly woman unknowingly unplugged an oxygen port in a woman's surgical ward at the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital while trying to recharge her mobile phone.

As soon as the woman unplugged the port, oxygen started coming out with a huge sound following which inmates and their attendants ran out of the second floor ward. Even the patients on the ground floor vacated their respective wards. The incident took place around 6:15 PM on Tuesday.

Dean of the institution Dr R Shanthi Malar and doctors rushed to the ward. On inquiry, it was found that an elderly woman, who mistook the port on the oxygen supply line for an electric sachet, removed it to recharge her mobile phone.

"We disconnected the line that was damaged by the elderly woman. We brought the patients back to the wards after an hour, after explaining to them what had happened," said Dr Malar.