Shamsuddin Illius, Ctg
Media: The Independent
Despite the authorities’ sincere efforts to supply electricity to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) through four small transformers from the neighboring areas, it could not be fully possible till yesterday afternoon. All the services of the hospital were yet to be as usual while still the rooms of many doctors were without electricity. These efforts gave some relief to the patents and the authorities were able to keep services normal at the ICU, CCU and operation theaters.
About 2,200 patients of CHMCH have been suffering for three days and many services of the hospital have been suspended due to power outage as the hospital’s 50 years old transformer exploded. On Thursday around 2pm, the transformer exploded leaving 39 wards without power.
However, on Saturday around 2:30pm the authorities managed to supply electricity in a limited scale. When contacted, Brigadier General Dr Khondaker Shaidul Gani, director of CMCH, told The Independent, “We have managed electricity on emergency basis from neighboring areas as CMCH hostels, nursing college areas through small transformers.” “Managing generator and alternative way we are supplying power to operation theaters, ICU, CCU and supplying electricity for some lights and some fans of the hospital,” added Gani. “We bought a transformer for Tk 40 lakh which will reach CMCH on early Sunday,” he added. “To solve the problem completely we have to wait till Sunday,” he said further. On Thursday about 2pm, the 1500 KVA transformer of the CHMCH had gone out of order and at about 4pm, the authorities repaired the transformers. But again at 6pm the transformer had gone completely out of order and the electricity supply had been stopped. The authorities tried to supply electricity limitedly through generator but in vein. It was quit impossible for them to supply electricity to the 1,313-bed hospital through generator, said hospital sources.
Moreover, the power cut also affected the hospital’s water supply and lift services. After visiting the hospital, it was seen that the sufferings of the patients knew no bounds. Many attendants were seen walking up and down the hospital carrying their patients due to extreme heat.
