Hospital generator lying packed for 9yrs

A generator at Sakhipur Upazila Health Complex in the district has not been used for the last nine years as it is more powerful than needed and also costly to run.

As a result, treatment is being hampered at the hospital, and patients as well as doctors and staff face great suffering during power cut/ load shedding.

The health directorate allocated the generator for the 50-bed hospital on July 5, 2008, said Rezaul Islam, storekeeper of the hospital. However, the generator has been lying packed in its box at the store of the hospital since then.

"We heard that it will take fuel worth Tk 12,000 per hour to run the 50 kilovolt generator, and an operator is needed to run it. But no fund was sanctioned and no operator was appointed for it," said Resident Medical Officer Dr Nazmul Hossain.

"Patients, especially newborns and their mothers, as well as doctors and staff suffer a lot during power cuts," he added.

"What is the benefit of having the generator if it cannot be used when needed?” said Shamima Akter, relative of a patient.    

Hours-long load shedding is a regular matter in the upazila, but the hospital has been running without alternative power system for years, said local rights activist Sajjad Latif. "The authorities concerned should take necessary steps to solve the problem immediately," he added.  

Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Rafiul Karim said no engineer from the health directorate has come to install the generator, and no operator has been appointed to run it so far.

"Treatment is hampered seriously during power cuts as four to five operations are done per day," he said.

"The authorities should install a small generator,” he said, adding that they wrote to the office of the civil surgeon several times, but nothing has been done in this regard so far.