Frequent power cuts cripple hospitals, education institutes

Frequent power outages coupled with a severe heatwave have put the lives of millions across the country in distress, but patients and students are suffering the most.

Patients in most public and private hospitals and diagnostic centres of the country are not getting the bare minimum healthcare services due to load shedding. This crisis is more acute outside the capital.

Students in educational institutions are also bearing the brunt of load shedding. The government on Sunday announced the closure of primary schools till 8 June, considering the health issues of the young students due to the severe heat.

On Monday, it ordered the suspension of all classes of the primary section of all public and private secondary schools till 8 June.

North South University, the largest private university in the country, has decided to return to online lectures after suffering frequent load shedding amid the severe heatwave. Online classes will start today and continue till 11 June.

But private and public educational institutions which are still in operation are experiencing disruptions in their academic activities.

Patients suffer at hospitals 

Askir Ali, aged over 60, went to Companiganj Upazila Health Complex in Sylhet on Sunday morning with diabetes and kidney problems.

The doctor asked him to get a urine and blood test. But Askir could not get the tests done even after being in the health complex till noon.

The lab was out of service due to a prolonged power outage. Many other patients like Askir had to wait for a long time and then return home without getting tested.

Patients of the Dhamrai Upazila Health Complex near the capital are suffering from a water shortage. Due to load shedding, the health complex could not pump up groundwater water to the roof tank.

The complex has a generator, but only for supplying power to the operating theatre. It has an instant power supply (IPS) system, which became inadequate due to heavy power outages.

Patients, especially those admitted in the wards, are suffering due to the mosquito menace, scorching heat and load shedding. Being on the edge, many patients are reportedly going into altercations with hospital nurses and doctors.

The situation is more or less the same in other hospitals in the country. As temperatures rise, the number of patients with fever and diarrhoea along with other illnesses is on the rise.

Talking to more than 20 upazila health complexes, medical college hospitals, private hospitals and diagnostic centres in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Jashore, Khulna, Sylhet, and Rangpur, The Business Standard found that the health services of hospitals are heavily disrupted by the power cuts.

Emergency departments, intensive care units (ICUs) and operating theatres in most hospitals are running with generators or IPS, but patients and their relatives in the wards are affected the most.

Rabeya Sultana, a medical officer at Sylhet's Zakiganj Upazila Health Complex, told The Business Standard that the number of patients has increased due to the heat but the complex is not able to serve these patients due to load shedding. Loadshedding intensifies at night and patients in general wards have to suffer in the dark amid sizzling temperatures.

Rubel Ahmed, a resident of Akhaura upazila in Brahmanbaria, went to the health complex on Monday morning for a blood test. But the lab was closed due to load shedding. He waited several hours before heading home without getting the test done. 

Akhaura Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Himel Khan told TBS, "Of late, load shedding has been occurring at a half hour interval. Without power, the pathology department is completely closed. Emergency department services are disrupted. Besides, the nebuliser cannot be given to patients suffering from breathing problems. All in all, it is an intense situation." 

Bidyut Roy, in-charge of the pathology lab at the 250-bed Brahmanbaria General Hospital, said the machines used for testing are having trouble due to frequent load shedding. Patients have to wait a long time for all sorts of tests.

Jashore 250 Bed Hospital Superintendent Dr Harun Or Rashid told The Business Standard, "We are facing fewer power outages compared to other hospitals in the country. Besides, we have three generators. But not all wards get power from generators."

The 50-bed health complex in Khulna's Rupsha Upazila has a generator but it has been lying idle for a long time. During load-shedding, patients suffer tremendously.

Patients are suffering not only in upazila or district health complexes but also in medical college hospitals due to load shedding.

Dr Md Khalilur Rahman, the director of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, told The Business Standard, "The operating theatres, ICUs, labour ward and emergency department have generator support in our hospital. However, there is no generator for the general ward."

Private hospitals are in serious trouble due to recurrent power cuts.

Mamun Aur Rashid, an owner of Mohammadia Diagnostic Centre, told The Business Standard, "Last month due to load shedding, we had to buy Tk60,000 worth of diesel to run the generator. This month the situation seems worse. We cannot charge more money from patients. If this continues, we will incur losses."

Dr Sheikh Daud Adnan, acting director (hospital and clinic) of the Directorate General of Health Services, told TBS, "We have asked the hospitals to take two electric lines. Initiatives are being taken to fix the generators that are broken. But the use of fuel oil to run the generators must be limited. For the time being, hospitals have been asked to run emergency departments, ICUs, and operating theatres with generators during power outages."

A major disruption in education

Unbearable load shedding is disrupting regular educational activities. Government primary schools will remain closed for some time but the secondary and higher secondary institutions remain open.

Even if education programmes continue at the secondary level, several instructions have suspended daily assemblies and asked students to stop playing in the sun and drink enough water to stay healthy. 

Students and spokespersons of several educational institutions told The Business Standard that they are facing various obstacles in running regular activities. It is nearly impossible to conduct classes with lights and fans turned off by the power cuts that last for several hours.

Brac University Senior Communication Officer Md Wahidul Islam told TBS, "Elevators remain inactive for two-three hours due to load shedding and there is no AC facility. The generator is not able to take the pressure. It is hampering class activities as well as official work."

State University Assistant Director of PR and Marketing Tareq Omar told TBS, "Load shedding has gone to such dire straits that generators cannot handle the situation."

North South University (NSU) has been plunged in darkness since Monday morning amid the ongoing severe heat wave.

Some faculty members and students said a few people had fallen ill amid the sweltering heat. 

A student, who did not want to be named, said the normally air-conditioned rooms did not allow for much fresh air to circulate, making it difficult to stay in classes with little ventilation.

The electricity crisis has been plaguing the university, like all other residential and commercial buildings in Dhaka North, for a while.

Contacted, Desco Managing Director Engineer Kausar Ameer Ali told TBS, "The power demand is 1,300MW in the Dhaka North and Tongi areas, but there is a 306MW supply deficit. With this, we are trying to supply all the areas and have to schedule load-shedding area-wise."

Asked when the situation would improve, he said, "No notice has been sent to us from the power ministry on how long this will continue, but the minister said it would improve in two weeks."