Jaipur’s hospital ICU flooded after pipeline leak, 14 critical patients shifted

Fourteen critically ill patients, including ten on ventilator support, were shifted out of the Intensive Care Unit at the Trauma Centre of Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital after water from a leaking pipeline flooded the ward late Monday night. Hospital officials said nearly six inches of water accumulated inside the ICU, triggering an emergency response.

The incident caused panic among staff as water spread across the floor amid sensitive medical equipment, raising concerns over electric shock. All patients were immediately moved to safer locations, including another ICU within the trauma centre and Bangar Hospital, to ensure uninterrupted treatment.

Trauma Centre in-charge Dr B L Yadav said the leakage occurred due to corrosion in old water pipelines buried during earlier construction. He explained that the area housing the ICU previously contained rooms and toilets, and ageing pipelines eventually gave way, leading to the flooding.

Dr Yadav said the roof valve was shut as soon as the leak was detected and repair work on the damaged pipeline began immediately. “Keeping in mind the risk of infection and cold exposure, patients were shifted purely as a precaution,” he said, adding that the pipelines have since been repaired.

On Tuesday, senior health officials reviewed the situation and said the crisis had been brought under control in time. The ICU has resumed partial operations and is expected to become fully functional after safety checks, with instructions issued to map old pipelines to prevent similar incidents in the future, reports said.