Bangladesh Hospitals Struggle as Power Cuts Endanger Patients
Fifty-eight-day-old Hafsa Jahan struggles to breathe in Chandpur. She was admitted to Matlab South Upazila Health Complex with pneumonia. Doctors prescribed nebuliser treatment for her. But frequent power outages mean she cannot receive this vital care. The ceiling fan above her bed also stopped, making the heat worse. Hafsa’s mother waited anxiously for electricity to return on Sunday.
Many other patients across Bangladesh face similar problems. Mofassir, a one-and-a-half-year-old pneumonia patient in Chattogram, missed half his nebuliser treatments. Four-year-old Minu Akter in Lakshmipur also needs regular nebulisation for pneumonia. This treatment is often delayed due to a lack of power.
Electricity cuts disrupt many essential services in local hospitals. Nebulisers, X-ray machines, and ECG services often stop. Pathology tests cannot be performed. Sometimes, surgeons must use mobile phone lights during operations. This creates panic and serious risks for patients.
Hospitals are supposed to have generators for backup power. However, many generators do not have fuel to run. For example, Matlab South Upazila Health Complex’s only generator is idle. It needs 15 to 20 litres of fuel daily, but there is no budget to buy it. Raipur Upazila Health Complex also has a generator without diesel. Some hospitals, like Bera Upazila Health Complex in Pabna, do not have any generator at all.
This nationwide power shortage began over a month ago. It is caused by a lack of fuel for electricity generation. The Bangladesh Power Development Board reports that power production cannot meet demand. Load-shedding now affects areas outside Dhaka and even the capital city. On Saturday, Bangladesh faced a power deficit of 3,612 megawatts.
Patients injured in accidents cannot get X-rays. Rafiqul Islam had to pay Tk 500 at a private clinic for an X-ray. The same test would cost only Tk 55 at a government hospital. Abdul Wadud waited two hours for his mother’s X-ray, then went to a private hospital.
The heat also makes patients very uncomfortable during power cuts. Eighteen-year-old Ashik Hossain suffered from fever in Pabna. His mother continuously fanned him. Seventy-year-old Amzad Hossain, sick with diarrhoea, could not sleep well because of the heat. Patients in Moulvibazar said they face eight to twelve hours of power cuts daily.
Hospital staff work hard despite these challenges. But the number of surgeries has dropped. A senior nurse in Nilphamari said they now perform one or two caesarean sections daily. Earlier, they did four or five. Doctors worry about infection risks when they sweat during operations without air conditioning.
The ongoing power crisis puts patients’ health and safety at risk. It forces many to seek expensive private care. The situation highlights the urgent need for a steady power supply in Bangladesh’s healthcare system.
