Bajhang, June 26
Vaccines against childhood diseases, worth around two million rupees, have become useless in Bajhang district hospital, thanks to a halt in electricity supply at the hospital for about one-and-a-half months. This may deprive more than 2,000 children of vaccination against childhood diseases.
Dr Vishnu Khatiwada, chief of the hospital, said, “Most of the vaccines, which should be kept in temperatures of 2-8 degrees, have gone waste. For this month, we have no option but to shut vaccination services.
The generator at the hospital has failed to maintain the temperatures required to keep vaccines against BCG, DPT, polio and measles safe, Khatiwada said. Because of the lack of electricity, the hospital has been finding it hard to provide treatment to serious patients.
Power supply came to a halt after reconstruction of Surmadevi Hydro began.
Surmadevi used to supply electricity to Bajhang district headquarters and surrounding village development committees. With the hydel shut, two high-capacity generators had been supplying electricity to the district hospital and government offices. Surmadevi later had the generator, which was supplying power to the hospital, removed, saying that the reconstruction was complete and it can supply power to the hospital.
Despite this move, Surmadevi could not supply power to the hospital due to technical glitches.
Dr Khatiwada said their problems have only aggravated with both Surmadevi and district administration office paying no heed to their repeated requests to resume power supply at the hospital.
Service-seekers have described this halt in electricity supply in the essential sector as a grave act of negligence. The shortage of electricity has also affected video x-ray, x-ray and nebulisation services.
Every day, around 20 people needing ventilator support visit the hospital, Dr Khatiwada said, adding: Shortage of electricity has created problems in their treatment. This means patients have no option but to visit private hospitals where charges are higher than in government hospital.
On its part, Surmadevi claimed that it has not been able to supply power to the hospital for only four days due to glitches at the powerhouse.
