29 April 2000 Saturday 23 Muharram 1421

KARACHI: 18-hour power failure at CHK

KARACHI, April 28: The Civil Hospital, Karachi, one of the three tertiary-care medical centres in the city of 130 million, experienced an 18-hour long partial power shutdown on Thursday and Friday.

According to Dr. Hamid of the Civil Hospital, power supply to almost half of the hospital was suspended due to a short circuit at 11.10 am on Thursday on the Baba-i-Urdu Road sub-station.

"Hospital administration, however, resorting to alternative arrangements and putting into function its only power generator immediately restored electricity, thus preventing any inconvenience to patients," he said.

Mentioning that CHK is provided electricity from two KESC feeders, including Baba-i-Urdu Road sub-station and Chand Bibi Road sub-station, he said the affected feeder was a source of electricity supply to important segments, including the casualty department, emergency operation theatre, gynae operation theatre, surgical I.C.U, orthopaedic operation theatre, operation theatre 1 and 2, paediatric emergency unit and the nursing mess.

"The only generator of 48KVA, installed at the hospital was made to generate power for more than 18 consecutive hours as the KESC, despite extending assurance to restore supply tentatively by 10.30pm, failed to do so till 5am on Friday", he said.

It necessitated the installation of another 48 KVA power generator at the hospital.

To a query Dr. Hamid said the generator was used to supply OT I&II, emergency O.T, labour room, lift, surgical I.C.U, stair case and blood bank thus catering to the power needs of some 25 percent to 30 percent of the hospital, while 50 percent requirement were fulfilled by the Chand Bibi Road feeder.

Dr. Hamid mentioned a few CHK wards and departments had also arranged for their own generators of small capacity through funds generated by the doctors themselves of the concerned wards or philanthropic support.

Acknowledging that a few sections were left without power during the 18 hours long breakdown, he said these were generally those having almost no patient load in evening and night hours.

Meanwhile, PWD engineer associated with CHK has recommended for provision of another generator of same capacity to prevent any untoward situation. - APP

http://www.dawn.com/2000/04/29/local5.htm

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), April 29, 2000