It was a nightmare for Mohd. Liaqath Ali, a paralytic patient at the Government Nizamia Unani Hospital in Charminar to suffer power disruption for three long days. A blackout in the hospital premises due to a technical snag was nothing short of a mental trauma for him.
Liaqath was not the only patient who had a brush with the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities. Around two hundred odd patients at the hospital faced a similar experience. In the night they put up candles to light up the wards.
The black out was a resultant of technical problem that was reported after the underground cable that connects the electricity transformer and the power line to the hospital getting damaged on Saturday afternoon. The generator that could have bailed them out of the crisis is defunct for last ten years paving way for a plethora of problems. “We did not sleep properly for three days as no alternative arrangements were made by the authorities,” complains Sudhershan, a patient. Water supply was also affected due to power disruption forcing people to make alternate arrangements.
“We carried water from the hand-pumps around the hospital,” complains Zuliqa, an attendant.
Mosquitoes and unclean toilets added to the sufferings. “For want of water toilets continue to stink even after the power is restored. Hardly is there any one to take note of the problems the patients face,” laments, Naseer, a paralytic patient. The snag was rectified only on Tuesday afternoon.
Interestingly, the go-ahead for purchasing a new generator was given by former Hyderabad Collector, Natarajan Gulzar in his capacity as Chairman of Hospital Development Society, a year ago. The money was to be taken from hospital development fund but the hospital authorities delayed purchasing it as they had no funds for diesel.
