Power outage at SAT Hospital sparks massive protests, Health dept. orders probe

Supply restored at 10.30 p.m. after three-hour blackout; KSEB says it is not to be blamed; technical glitches in generators used for alternative supply cited as reason for outage

A power outage which lasted close to three hours sparked massive protests at the Sree Avittam Thirunal (SAT) Hospital here on Sunday evening.

Irate relatives and caregivers of the patients accused the hospital authorities of gross negligence after the blackout hit the casualty block. Power supply was restored only by 10.30 p.m. using a substitute generator. SAT Hospital serves as the maternal and child health wing of Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram.

The Health department has ordered a detailed investigation by a technical committee into the incident. In the preceding hours, relatives crowded the darkened corridors outside the wards and the frontyard of the hospital, expressing their anger, helplessness and concern over the plight of the mothers and newborn babies.

‘Neonatal ICU not hit’

Although the hospital authorities attempted to soothe them saying that the patients were safe, the continued delay in restoring the supply exacerbated the situation. Health Minister Veena George also issued a statement saying that the neonatal ICU was not affected by the outage, and that steps were being taken to restore supply.

With the protests gaining strength, the police were deployed at the hospital.

The hospital experienced power outage on Sunday following technical glitches in the generators that were being used for alternative supply.

As protests mounted, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) issued a statement saying that it was not to be blamed for the blackout. The high-tension (HT) connection provided by the KSEB to the hospital was fully functional, it said. KSEB officials also added that they were working with the PWD Electrical Wing, which was responsible for the internal supply, to restore supply to the block.

Deputy Mayor P.K. Raju, who visited the hospital, told reporters that the lapse should be investigated. He added that steps would be taken in consultation with the Health department to make sure that there is no recurrence of such incidents.

Meanwhile, the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the government over the incident. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan demanded a comprehensive probe and action against the persons responsible for the outage. “The SAT Hospital incident shows that the government does not have any concern for the lives of the people,” Mr. Satheesan said, adding that there were complaints that the police manhandled the relatives and caregivers of the patients.

Published - September 29, 2024 11:39 pm IST