*Hospital is the only public sector establishment of city that has not been allowed dual connection from LESCO
Rain brings respite to the citizens but not to the poor patients of the Lady Willingdon Hospital where 12 hours of outages hurts deep because of an unavailability of dual connection from the LESCO, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The Lady Willingdon Hospital is the city’s only public sector Gynecology health facility and the only one where there is no dual connection for power supply unlike the nine other teaching hospitals of the metropolitan.
Being affiliated with the King Edward Medical University (KEMU) it is one of the oldest Gynecology facilities because of which it is renowned across the province. It is also a relief for the poor of the poor strata who cannot otherwise afford a private hospital.
Moreover, being affiliated with the KEMU, poor patients get to have quality treatment facilities at a public facility too.
However, due to continuous power outages at alternate hours and unavailability of power supply from two feeders as is the case in all other teaching hospitals of city, patients suffer.
“Imagine a patient in the labour room when the light goes off. Here every other patient is almost in a critical condition and we cannot ask them to come again also,” a senior doctor from the hospital said seeking anonymity.
The hospital had installed a generator as backup power but it only gave supply to the labour room and emergency operation theatre, while the rest of the wards and other areas remained in the dark after every hour.
“A place full of women and children and no continuous electricity being provided speaks volumes off the apathy of the government. Especially during Ramadan and when the temperatures are so high. Thank god it rained today and brought the mercury down a bit, but still the electricity is needed,” the doctor added.
The patients and their attendants both suffer with the latter sitting in the lawns and even resting in the corridors.
Lady Willingdon Hospital MS Dr Zafar Yousaf said power outages and unavailability of a dual connection is a “grave” issue and hurting both patients and doctors. “Ours is not a dental facility where we can always ask the patient to visit another day if power goes off; every other patient is in a critical condition and needs treatment,” he said.
Initially we have had a small generator but it has been replaced a couple of days ago with a big one and now things are being “managed”. “Of course it cannot replace electricity supply from the LESCO because this one is very costly too,” he said.
For the last many regimes various medical superintendents tried to get a dual connection as is the case of every other teaching hospital, but in vain. “We have gotten the case approved. According to which one connection will be provided from Hakeema Wala feeder and the other from Bhaati feeder to cope with the ongoing crisis. We have deposited Rs 10million already and will get the dual connection in a couple of months,” he added.
