Power outage cripples work at Nurpur hospital

Our Correspondent

Nurpur, November 13

Patients from far off places visiting the local Civil Hospital had a tough time on Tuesday as Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd (HPSEBL) shut down power supply in the region throughout the day and the hospital’s generator was out of order, which crippled the functioning of the hospital.

No prescription slips (computerised) could be generated after 10.30 am, no X-ray, clinical laboratory and ultra sound tests could be undertaken. The normal functioning of the hospital’s ICU and OPDs was also hit.

The patients who visited the hospital were inconvenienced as they had to return without medical prescriptions. Resentment was witnessed among patients, Suneeta Devi, Anjana, Pushpa, Sunil Chowdhary and Kazal, who came from for off rural areas, lamented that they had spent the whole day waiting for the power supply to be restored and finally returned homes without any treatment or clinical examination.

The Health Department had reportedly installed a generator at the hospital in 2015-16 at a cost of Rs 30 lakh, which was out of order. It was repaired and made functional at 3.30 pm, just half-an-hour before the closing time. RS Rana, Chief Medical Officer, Kangra, said, “It was not in his knowledge, but I will seek report from the SMO of Nurpur Civil Hospital and ensure that such a problem does not recur.”