Cuttack: A plan is underway to eliminate the problem of power outages in the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. With the installation of new diesel generators (DG sets), all departments in the hospital will be equipped with uninterrupted power supply. As a result, patients will no longer have to receive treatment in the dark. Each department will be equipped with three sets, and tenders have been called for the same by the CMC (Cuttack Municipal Corporation). These measures will ensure uninterrupted power across all hospital departments.
Power cuts have long been a serious issue in the hospital. There have been instances where patients received injections using mobile flashlights or even underwent surgeries in complete darkness. In emergency cases, critical patients have had to wait a long time due to power issues. Although DG sets were previously available, they often failed to operate properly in time of need. To resolve this recurring issue, new DG sets are now being introduced.
However, a previously announced plan to install solar power plants at SCB has been overlooked in this process.
SCB, known as one of the largest government hospitals in Eastern India, has frequently suffered power disruptions affecting patient care. To address this, 35 DG sets are being installed across departments including the cardiology department, Trauma Centers 1 and 2, ophthalmology, neurosurgery, telemedicine, pathology, pharmacy, plastic surgery, and more.
DG sets ranging from 40 kVA to 250 kVA capacity will be installed in various key areas like:
Blood bank
Pulmonary medicine
New medicine block
Obstetrics and gynecology
Department heads’ offices
Outpatient department
CT scan center
Hematology
Bone surgery
These DG sets will be battery-operated and maintained under CMC, including tasks like mechanical repair, filter replacement, and oil changes.
It’s worth noting that power outages have frequently occurred at SCB, sometimes lasting for hours across multiple departments, creating stressful situations. Patients have been treated under torchlight, and voltage fluctuations have even led to short circuits. Recognizing these persistent issues, the State Health and Family Welfare Department had decided two years ago to install solar plants at SCB. These high-capacity solar systems were to be installed on various building rooftops, with tenders issued and orders given to initiate the work. Departments were asked to identify suitable open areas for installation.
However, the solar project has yet to be implemented, and it’s unclear where or why the plan has stalled. Now that tenders for DG sets have been issued, doubts are being raised about whether the solar project will ever be realized.
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