Power Outage Crisis in IIOJK Puts Patients’ Lives at Risk

A severe power outage at the Sub-District Hospital in Kokernag, IIOJK, has left both patients and medical staff in dire straits, with unreliable backup systems jeopardizing essential care.

The Sub-District Hospital (SDH) in Kokernag, located in Islamabad district of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), is facing a major crisis due to frequent and prolonged power outages. The lack of a reliable electricity backup system has placed both patients and medical staff in a difficult and potentially dangerous situation, as essential hospital operations come to a halt every time there is a power failure.

Hospital staff report that the backup generator, which is supposed to provide relief during power outages, takes almost an hour to start after the power goes down. During this period, critical machinery, including life-saving equipment, is rendered useless, and basic hospital functions are disrupted. This delay in restoring power is not an isolated incident but a recurring problem, making it a constant source of stress for both staff and patients.

One hospital employee, frustrated by the ongoing issue, explained, “This often happens at the hospital, and the backup takes too long to start.” The situation has led to growing concern among patients, their families, and visitors, all of whom are worried about the potential risks to patient care when such disruptions occur.

The delays in restoring power have drawn sharp criticism from visitors, with many raising alarm over the serious impact on the quality of care. In a healthcare setting, especially in a district hospital that serves a large number of people, uninterrupted power supply is crucial for everything from routine checkups to life-saving surgeries. The current power backup system’s failure to provide timely support during outages leaves patients vulnerable to complications, and the staff unable to carry out their responsibilities effectively.

This issue is compounded by the hospital’s limited resources and the lack of infrastructure upgrades. Given the hospital’s pivotal role in the local community, the situation has sparked urgent calls for better management of hospital utilities, as well as immediate repairs or upgrades to the existing backup power system.

The ongoing power outages at SDH Kokernag are a stark reminder of the infrastructure challenges faced by many healthcare facilities in IIOJK. As the community continues to rely on the hospital for essential medical care, both the local population and hospital staff are urging authorities to take swift action to ensure that such power failures do not compromise the safety and well-being of patients in the future.