HYDERABAD, Feb 12: Unscheduled loadshedding and a shortage of water have been plaguing the Civil Hospital Hyderabad for the past several days, creating a lot of problems for patients as well as the hospital management.

Hospital sources said that patients, undergoing surgeries, were subjected to great risks as chronic power failures causes cancellation and suspension of ongoing operations.

Problems in the hospital abound following the suspension of power supply, especially in the paediatrics, surgery, orthopaedic, skin and eye wards as machines, including incubators, ventilators and other apparatus in the operation theatres, stop functioning.

At least 100 surgical operations are performed every day and a large number of them have to be cancelled or postponed because of power failures. A large number of patients, especially coming from the interior parts of Sindh, have to wait for their turn indefinitely as different doctors conduct these operations on different days.

Sources said the hospital management had been urging the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company for provision of an alternate power supply but Hesco officials demanded a million rupees for the second connection.

Hospital sources said that the hospital was not in a position to pay such an amount immediately as normally the health department did not approve such a large amount very easily.

It was learnt that the chief executive of the Hesco had once directed the sub-division concerned - Hesco's Hirabad sub- division - to exempt the hospital from loadshedding but officials of the sub-division did not pay any attention in this regard despite several complaints by the hospital's administration.

It was also learnt that the hospital's generator required overhauling and, therefore, it would not be working in the coming days. In view of the present situation, the hospital administration had again equested Hesco to ensure uninterrupted power supply but these requests also had no effect on officials of the power supply company and the hospital's power supply was suspended thrice on Thursday.

Medical Superintendent Dr Shafqatullah Memon said that the suspension of power had become more frequent after he had requested Hesco officials to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the hospital.

The generator caters to the electrical needs of a few portions of the hospital, including operation theatres, paediatrics and kidney wards. An official of the Civil Hospital Hyderabad told this correspondent during the tenure of Dr Hadi Bux Jatoi, the hospital administration had detected that over Rs600,000 were being charged over and above the hospital's electricity bills, adding Hesco officials were adjusting line losses by giving inflated bills to the hospital.

Similarly, the hospital had been facing short water supply as well. No water was available on Monday evening and Tuesday in areas, including the nursing hostel and private wards.

Patients' attendants complained that they had to approach either the resident medical officer or the chief medical officer for availability of water. The problem become more acute during the night time when different offices are closed and staff is not available to keep an eye on the water supply situation.

The Water and Sanitation Agency supplies water to the hospital from four separate lines. Sources said that in line with an understanding reached between Wasa and the hospital administration, two lines were supposed to operate round-the-clock, adding the other two lines were supposed to operate according to the availability of water.

They said that even those two lines did not operate continuously for 24 hours. Meanwhile, a hospital official, while admitting that the Civil Hospital Hyderabad owed Rs95 million to Wasa since 1998, said the dues had been gradually cleared.

He said that Wasa should not, however, disconnect or suspend the hospital's power supply keeping in view of its sensitive nature of working. It was learnt that recently Rs8 million were paid to Wasa, adding that there had very nominal budgetary allocation under the head of water for the hospital. "That is why dues continue to accumulate," he added.