Frequent Power Outages Disrupt Essential Medical Services at Raipur Upazila Health Complex

RAIPUR, Lakshmipur — Frequent power outages at the Raipur Upazila Health Complex are severely disrupting essential medical services, leaving patients and their families without access to critical diagnostic and life-saving treatments.

On Saturday, patients across the facility reported hours of delays due to inconsistent electricity. Kamrul Islam, a 45-year-old resident of Charabanshi Union, visited the hospital at noon for an X-ray to treat an injured finger. After waiting for over an hour without power, he was forced to return home without receiving the examination.

The crisis is also affecting the treatment of pediatric patients. Marjan Begum, whose four-year-old daughter Minu Akter is hospitalized with pneumonia, stated that doctors prescribed nebulizer treatments four times daily. However, due to the power supply issues, she was able to administer the treatment only once between morning and mid-afternoon. Similarly, Selina Akter, who traveled from Char Mohona village to vaccinate her child, faced a two-hour delay because staff could not open the vaccine storage refrigerator during the blackout.

Hospital records indicate that the facility experienced at least seven power cuts on Saturday alone. Officials reported that as of Sunday, 77 patients were admitted, including 23 suffering from pneumonia, all of whom are at risk due to the lack of reliable electricity for nebulizers and other equipment.

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While the hospital possesses a generator donated by a private individual, it remains largely idle. Hospital staff, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained that the facility has no budget allocation for diesel. Consequently, when the power grid fails, diagnostic machines, pathology labs, and essential life-support equipment remain non-functional. An Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) unit in the emergency department provides limited backup, but it proves insufficient during prolonged outages.

Raipur Upazila Health Complex Resident Medical Officer Mamunur Rashid acknowledged the ongoing hardships. He confirmed that the inability to procure fuel for the generator prevents the hospital from maintaining consistent service, though he noted that staff are making every effort to provide care under the circumstances.

Shafiul Alam, General Manager of the Lakshmipur Palli Bidyut Samity, attributed the outages to a significant supply shortfall. He stated that the local grid is receiving 30 to 35 percent less electricity than the daily requirement, a situation that has been formally reported to higher authorities.