Indian doctors operate under mobile torchlight after power fails

Doctors were forced to operate a patient under a mobile phone torchlight after power suddenly went off in the operation theatre.

A team of surgeons led by Dr Sunitha were performing a nose reconstruction surgery on a patient who had suffered a dog bite at the Government General Hospital (GGH) in Guntur, South India.

The power went off abruptly and the backup generator failed to switch on instantly plunging the operation theatre into darkness.

Doctors were forced to turn on the torchlight on a mobile phone and continued to work for four to five minutes till the lights were restored.

A video of the incident shows a doctor at work, assisted by two nurses, while the fourth person shines the torchlight.

Hospital superintendent Dr D S Rajanayak said: "The operation theater had full power back-up and a probe will find out why the lights failed to switch on immediately."