Staff writer
Surgeries were performed with flashlights yesterday at the Katutura State Hospital as the referral health facility experienced powers shortages in some parts.
Medical Superintendent, Doctor Nelago Amagulu confirmed the power blackout, saying it lasted for some minutes, but said some surgeries had to continue being done while the power was being restored.
“They were some surgeries that were being performed when the power blackout happened and they had to be continued with alternative lighting,” she said.
According to Amagulu the earth cables were cut by people who vandalized and informed us that they turned the generator to manual operation.
“The power blackout was not from the municipality’s side, it was from the people who cut the earth cables and it affected some parts of the hospital. It was also noted that the generator was put on manual rather than automatic hence the generator didn’t go on when the power blackout happened. It was probably changed by the people who cut the earth cables as it is always on automatic,” said Amagulu.
However according to a source inside the hospital who prefers anonymity, ‘’the power outage happened twice yesterday and patients were fortunate that the machines were fully charged.
The power went of twice for about 30 minutes, luckily the machines are charged. But the oxygen levels started to go down,“ said the source.
Executive director of the health ministry Ben Nangombe said he was informed that there was a power interruption but no operations were performed during the power outage.
‘’We engaged the standby generator and put ambulances on standby if we needed to transport patients to another part of the hospital that had power or to Central hospital. I have no information that operations were done by candle light or telephone light. The information I got is that there were not operations done under such light,” said Nangombe.
