Kerala - Kochi   

Power supply to hospitals cut

KOCHI: The power supply to a few Government hospitals in West Kochi area was cut off on Wednesday afternoon following the non-payment of power bills putting the patients and staff in these hospitals to distress.

The power connection to the Government hospital, Karuvelipady, was terminated at around 2 p.m.

However, the connection was restored after two hours following the undertaken given by the authorities that the power bills would be settled soon. The power bill arrears of the hospital is around Rs.43 lakh.

The bill pertains to a period of six years.

The other hospitals where the power connection has been disconnected are Government hospital, Palluruthy, Government hospital, Fort Kochi and Government Ayurveda hospital.

The power bill arrears of the Palluruthy hospital is around Rs. 87,000. There are around 20 inpatients in the Palluruthy hospital.

The vaccines and other medicines stored in the fridge of the hospital would be shifted to some nearby hospitals following the disruption in power supply, officials said.

The ownership of these hospitals was transferred to the Kochi Corporation from the State Government as part of decentralisation process and the power bills are supposed to be settled by the Corporation.

There was serious lapse on the part of the hospital authorities in the timely presenting of the power bills leading to the accumulation of bills, said Mini Antony, secretary of the Corporation.

The power bill arrears of the Palluruthy hospital is that of six years and the Corporation is not in a position to make the full payment at one go as the Corporation council has to give its consent for the payment of this bill, Ms. Antony said.

The Mayor has released funds from her contingency fund for the part payment of the power bills of Palluruthy and Ayurveda hospitals.

The Mayor and the Corporation secretary have also taken up the issue with the Health and Power Ministers. The higher officials of the Kerala State Electricity Board have also been approached for restoring the power supply. Requests for facilitating part payment of the arrear bills have also been sought, she said.

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