Patients Suffer As CHC Plunges Into Darkness – Child Treated Under Torchlight In Maheshwar

Maheshwar (Madhya Pradesh): A power outage at Maheshwar Community Health Centre (CHC) on Monday plunged the hospital into darkness, forcing staff to treat a child using the flashlight of a mobile phone. Patients struggled in extreme heat as backup power systems failed to function.

The outage triggered panic across hospital wards. Patients and their relatives faced severe heat and humidity, while many demanded immediate restorations of electricity. In the dressing room, hospital staff dressed a child and administered first aid using a mobile torch. People present at the hospital photographed and recorded the incident, triggering outrage in the area.

The hospital has a 10-kilowatt solar power plant and a 25-kilowatt generator. However, neither functioned during the outage. Residents and patients’ families alleged poor maintenance had rendered both backup systems non-operational.

Social worker Manoj Patidar criticised the situation and said a hospital with such infrastructure should not remain without electricity during peak summer heat. He also alleged that patients did not receive basic facilities such as cool drinking water.

BMO Dr Atul Gaur attributed the outage to a temporary technical fault. He said staff started repair work immediately after receiving information and later restored power supply.

Residents have demanded an independent investigation and accountability for officials responsible for maintaining the hospital’s emergency systems.