Lucknow: In a distressing incident, doctors at the Sikandra Community Health Centre in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur Dehat were forced to treat road accident victims using the flashlights on their mobile phones due to a power outage on Thursday. Despite the presence of two large generators at the facility, the backup power systems were not activated during the blackout.
The incident occurred after a road accident in Sikandra claimed the lives of two laborers and left 13 others injured. The injured were brought to the health center for treatment. Videos circulating on social media showed medical personnel attending to patients in the emergency room under the dim light of mobile phone flashlights.
Backup Systems Not Utilized
Sources at the health center disclosed that while the facility is equipped with two functional generators, these were not deployed during the power failure, leaving doctors to work under inadequate lighting conditions. This lapse has raised concerns over the preparedness and management of healthcare facilities in the region.
Inquiry Ordered
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Arun Kumar Singh confirmed the incident and announced an inquiry into why the backup systems were not used. “The health center has two generators and an inverter system in the emergency, labor, and OPD rooms,” Dr. Singh stated. He added, “I spoke to a doctor at the center, who said the inverter stopped working briefly but was later repaired. All backup facilities are available at the center.”
Dr. Singh also noted that the power outage was caused by ongoing repair work on power lines in the area. He acknowledged that power disruptions are frequent in Sikandra, and the health center is generally equipped to handle such situations.
The incident highlights critical gaps in operational preparedness, especially in emergency settings, and underscores the need for stricter adherence to protocols to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services.
