Patients at Jalandhar Civil Hospital have been facing inconvenience due to repeated power outages caused by ongoing sewerage construction work on the hospital premises. According to information received, the hospital has been experiencing frequent electricity disruptions since June 23, affecting the functioning of the Emergency Ward and causing distress to both patients and staff.
Medical Supritendent
The hospital staff informed the Medical Superintendent (MS) about the issue, following which the matter was taken up with the electricity department. Officials have assured that the problem is expected to be resolved by this evening.
Speaking about the issue, the Medical Superintendent said that sewerage work has been underway at the hospital for the past seven to eight months. During the process, underground power cables were accidentally damaged by a JCB machine. The issue first came to light on June 23, after which a private electrician temporarily repaired the damaged cable by cutting and reconnecting it.
Issue of electricity
However, the temporary repair failed to resolve the problem. Another technical team was later called in, which discovered that power cables buried under the refilled excavation sites had also been damaged. The process was started from scratch, revealing that several underground cables had also been damaged. The repair work was delayed by the heavy rainfall. Repair work resumed on July 10, after the water was drained, restoring electricity to the Emergency Ward and other sections of the hospital.
Situation worsened
The situation worsened again yesterday when another power failure affected the entire hospital. While backup generators were switched on, they began emitting smoke and had to be shut. During the outage, emergency patients were shifted to the Trauma Ward to ensure uninterrupted medical care. The Medical Superintendent stated that no patient was put at risk and repair work resumed this morning after power supply was temporarily restored.
Difficulties faced by the staff
Hospital staff said they faced considerable difficulties during the night due to the prolonged electricity outage, which affected both healthcare workers and patients. They approached the Medical Superintendent, who assured them that the issue would be resolved today.
Congress leader Rajinder Beri on the situation
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rajinder Beri said he received a call from a patient complaining about the lack of electricity and water supply at the hospital. After visiting the hospital and meeting the Medical Superintendent, he was informed that the power issue had persisted for the past 17 days. Beri urged the Punjab Health Minister to intervene and ensure that the problem is resolved at the earliest to prevent inconvenience to patients.