Double blow for CMCH patients

Patients of Chittagong Medical College Hospital have been suffering for two days due to a power outage at the hospital. The hospital's transformer exploded Thursday afternoon leaving most of the wards without power.

The 1,313-bed CMCH usually accommodates over 2,000 patients daily most of whom were deprived of treatment on Thursday and yesterday, said sources.

Contacted, Brig Gen Khondakar Shahidul Ghani, director of the hospital, said they are supplying power to vital departments, including the operation theatre and ICU, through generators and an alternative power supply.

He added that they were repairing the 60-year-old transformer but this could take two more days at the maximum.

Kiran Bala Devi, a 75-year old woman, who was admitted to the nephrology ward of the hospital a week ago, could not be given dialysis on Thursday due to the power cut, said her son Ranadhir Debnath.

Uranta Chakma, a six-year-old boy, was crying incessantly from the heat yesterday afternoon. "My wife and I tried to elevate his suffering with a hand-held fan but it was not of much help," said Uranta's father Mong Ela Chakma.          

Seema Rani Dey was seen walking up and down the hospital's hallway carrying her eight-year-old son who refused to stay in his bed in the heat.  

Moreover, the power cut also affected the hospital's water supply forcing patients to buy water from outside.