Power Outage at Nayagarh District Headquarters Hospital Highlights Lack of Preparedness in Public Healthcare

A four-hour power disruption at the Nayagarh District Headquarters Hospital on Sunday forced medical staff to rely on mobile phone torchlights to treat patients, severely hampering healthcare services and triggering widespread inconvenience. The hospital's emergency, medicine, and surgery wards were significantly affected, with doctors examining patients and carrying out medical procedures under the light of mobile phones. The sweltering heat compounded patients' misery, with several reporting that saline drips and injections were suspended due to the outage. Tensions escalated as senior medical staff were absent during the crisis, with patients and their families questioning the hospital's preparedness for such emergencies.

Key Takeaways:

• The power outage at the Nayagarh District Headquarters Hospital lasted for four hours, beginning around 4 PM, and affected the emergency, medicine, and surgery wards.
• Medical staff were forced to use mobile phone torchlights to treat patients, with doctors examining patients and carrying out medical procedures under makeshift lighting conditions.
• The sweltering heat exacerbated patients' suffering, with several reporting that saline drips and injections were suspended due to the outage.
• Tensions escalated as the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) and Additional District Medical Officer (ADMO) were absent from the hospital during the crisis.
• Patients and their families voiced anger over the lack of senior medical supervision and questioned the hospital's preparedness for such emergencies.
• A similar incident occurred at Motihari Sadar Hospital in Bihar, where doctors had to treat patients using mobile flashlights during a power outage.

Statistics:

• 4 hours: duration of the power outage at the Nayagarh District Headquarters Hospital
• 3 hours: time it took for electricity to be partially restored in the emergency ward
• 2 patients: number of patients admitted with road accident injuries who had to undergo wound dressing in makeshift lighting conditions
• 1 incident: the power outage incident at Motihari Sadar Hospital in Bihar

Sources:

• The Hitavada, Copyright 2025, distributed by Contify.com