Heavy rains in Karachi caused an electricity breakdown of over 24 hours at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC). However, the hospital administration refused to run the power generators and six patients died during treatment as a result on Tuesday. The JPMC management blamed the Sindh health secretary for not issuing them budget because the former lacks enough funds to even run the power generators.
The hospital plunged into darkness on Monday evening, but the JPMC administration did not run the power generators because, according to them, they do not have a single paisa to run the facility’s generators.
The administration also closed the emergency, outpatient and radiology departments, as well as the pathology laboratory and the blood banks of this significant state-run hospital; whereas some 105 operations were also cancelled.
Hundreds of patients, including the severely injured and the gravely ill, were forced to go elsewhere to seek treatment for their ailments. After the downpour started on Monday evening, the Karachi Electric Supply Company shut down power supply to the JPMC. However, the hospital administration did not run the power generators, saying that they are out of budget. Due to lack of proper electricity, six patients being treated in the neurosurgery operation theatre died on Tuesday.
Two of these patients belonged to Karachi, whereas two others were from Hyderabad and Tharparkar.
JPMC Public Relations Officer Ameer Hussain said six patients in all – including eight-year-old Noman, 18-year-old Jaffar of Karachi, elderly Haji Muhammad of Tharparkar, and 12-year-old Saqib – died in the operation theatre due to the power outage.
“The health secretary has not issued the hospital any funds. We are unable to pay the employees their salaries, due to which there is a protest at the facility. How shall we be able to buy fuel for the power generators?” Hussain added.
On the other hand, JPMC sources said despite getting a biannual budget from the Sindh government, the hospital administration is not buying any fuel to run the power generators because they want to blackmail the provincial government. Sindh Health Secretary Rizwan Ahmed said, “There has been a power breakdown at the JPMC since Monday evening, but the administration informed me about it at 10:00 am the next day. However, I have issued orders for providing 2,000 litres of diesel to run the hospital’s generators.”
Ahmed said he has constituted a committee that will probe into the matter, and he will take action against those who are found involved in foul play and tormenting the patients.
