Fuel Shortage Leaves Patients Suffering Without Fans at Award-Winning Sherpur Upazila Health Complex
Photo Collected
Patients at the Sherpur Upazila Health Complex in Bogra are enduring stifling conditions as hospital wards remain without electricity for fans during power outages. While the facility is equipped with a generator, officials stated that a lack of budget allocation for fuel prevents it from being used to power ward fans.
Observations made on Friday evening between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. revealed that when power cuts occur, the wards become oppressively hot, forcing relatives of patients to rely on manual handheld fans to provide relief. As of 8:00 p.m. that night, 56 patients were admitted to the 50-bed facility, with those suffering from respiratory complications experiencing the most severe distress.
Among those affected is 50-year-old Abdus Samad, a patient from Gopalpur village who was admitted on Thursday evening with breathing difficulties. His wife, Champa Begum, reported that power outages often last for up to two hours, exacerbating her husband’s condition and leaving her physically exhausted from manually fanning him throughout the night.
Nursing staff confirmed that while emergency energy-saving bulbs remain operational during outages, the ward fans are not connected to any backup power system. Hospital authorities noted that while the facility has an Inverter Power System (IPS) for the emergency department and a generator reserved for the operating theater, there is no funding designated for the fuel required to run fans in the general wards.
The Sherpur Upazila Health Complex has previously been recognized for its high standards of healthcare, ranking first nationally in 2024 and 2026. Despite these accolades, the inability to operate the generator during routine power outages continues to compromise patient comfort.
Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Amirul Islam acknowledged the situation, stating that there is currently no budget provision for generator fuel. He indicated that if the necessary fuel supplies were provided, the hospital would be able to power the fans in the wards during outages.
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