A shocking case of negligence has surfaced from Takhatpur Community Health Center in Bilaspur district, where the hospital plunged into darkness during a power cut. Without proper backup, doctors and nurses were left struggling to provide medical care at night.
Lights Go Out During Delivery
The incident occurred when Jyoti, a resident of Belsari village, was brought to the health center on Thursday evening with labor pains. As her condition worsened, she was taken to the operation theater. However, just as she was about to deliver, the power supply suddenly went off, throwing the OT into darkness and creating panic among staff.
Nurses Used Mobile Torch to Save Lives
Unable to restore the power, nurses quickly sought help from attendants outside and borrowed mobile phones for light. With the glow of a mobile torch, they managed to conduct the delivery. Complications arose as the mother began bleeding and needed stitches. Despite the odds, the staff successfully completed the procedure under torchlight, saving both mother and child.
BMO Confirms Power Failure
Takhatpur BMO Umesh Kumar confirmed the incident, stating, “The inverter was not working due to continuous power outage during the day. In an emergency, the delivery was carried out using a mobile torch.”
No Generator Facility at Health Center
The case has exposed glaring shortcomings in the health system. The CHC has no generator and is entirely dependent on an inverter. On the day of the incident, power had been out since morning. Despite repeated written and verbal complaints to the electricity department, the issue remained unresolved, and the inverter’s backup ran out by evening.
Risk to Patients During Power Cuts
Officials admitted that without a generator, long outages make treatment nearly impossible. The incident highlights the urgent need for better infrastructure in rural health facilities to avoid putting lives at risk during emergencies.
