NO power, NO dialysis

15 days without generator, patients left in the lurch at Srirangapatna Hospital

Srirangapatna: For the past 15 days, patients at the Government Hospital in Srirangapatna have been facing severe hardship due to a malfunctioning generator.

The problem has hit the dialysis unit particularly hard, where kidney patients depend on uninterrupted power for life-saving treatment.

With the generator remaining unrepaired, every power cut throws the hospital into disarray. Dialysis sessions are interrupted midway, putting patients at risk of complications such as breathing difficulties and dangerously low blood pressure.

The Intensive Care Unit and other wards are also affected, forcing doctors to examine patients and issue receipts under the light of mobile phone torches.

Dialysis patients, many of whom travel long distances for scheduled sessions, are left waiting helplessly. Depending on their condition, some require dialysis once a week, while others need it two or three times a week, with each session lasting two to four hours. When the process is halted midway, the consequences can be life-threatening.

Most of those affected belong to poor and middle-class families who depend on Government hospitals for affordable treatment.

They cannot afford the high cost of treatment at private hospitals. Staff have already lodged written complaints regarding the lack of power supply to the dialysis unit, but no corrective action has been taken.

Ramachandra, a patient undergoing dialysis three times a week, voiced his anguish: “For the past three sessions, power cuts have stopped treatment halfway. Without complete dialysis, I struggle to breathe and feel like my life is slipping away. Authorities must repair the generator immediately.”

Sarita, an Anganwadi worker and dialysis patient, said: “We cannot survive without proper dialysis. The issue has already been brought to the attention of district Health officials. They must act quickly and provide a permanent solution.”

Hospital Medical Officer Dr. Sridhar acknowledged the problem and said that the generator battery connected to the dialysis unit had failed. “We have already instructed the contractor to replace it. Steps will be taken to ensure such incidents do not recur,” he assured.