Raiganj: The Bhatol Primary Health Centre in North Dinajpur district has been grappling with a power outage for the past three days, severely impacting medical services. The situation worsened when the facility’s inverter system failed, leaving doctors to examine patients by candlelight.
The prolonged power outage not only hampered medical examinations but also risked the storage of essential medicines and vaccines. Residents and staff are calling for immediate action to restore electricity and ensure the facility is equipped with a reliable backup power source to prevent future disruptions.
Local resident Md Safique expressed concern: “More than three days ago, during a storm, the power at Bhatol Primary Health Centre was disconnected. Since then, it has not been restored. The health centre lacks a generator for emergency power supply and the inverter is damaged. Doctors are now checking patients using candles. We urge health officials to restore power immediately.”
Gautam Adhikary, a physician doctor at the centre, stated: “Our power has been disconnected since Friday during a storm.
Both the health staff and patients are facing difficulties in the hot weather. We have informed higher authorities about this issue.” Anirban Saha, Divisional Manager, WBSEDCL, Raiganj, stated: “Thunderstorms and rains resulted in a large number of trees and electric poles being uprooted on Friday. We are trying to restore power at the earliest.”