Kupwara, Jan 6: The functioning of Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Kupwara is badly affected due to non-functioning of solar lighting system installed by a private firm in 2003, and with the result the patient have been suffering.
According to hospital staff, the snapping of solar lights has hit casualty, immunization, labor rooms, operation theatre, injection section, medical wards, surgical ward, laboratories and X- Ray room of the hospital.
The Department of Science and Technology had commissioned solar plant having a capacity of 10 Kilowatt (Kwt) in 2003 and the plant was installed by a private firm in the same year.
The staff said that life span of the battery bank supporting the plant has ended and it (the plant) was not providing the light to the hospital.
 They said that the operation theatre in the hospital and vital machines including X-ray and Ultrasonography (USG) used to receive electricity from the plant and the functioning of theatre and machines had been severely affected due to failure of the plant.
“It is not getting charged for past two weeks,” said a doctor adding that the life span of batteries has ended.”
The patients and attendants also complained of power scarcity caused due to failure of the plant.
They said that there were inordinate delays in getting the tests like X-ray and USG conducted that at the
hospital due to the non-functioning of solar plant. “We have to wait for hours to get the tests done as machines go off due to power outages.
“The hospital management should make the plant functional without further delay,” said Ghulam Muhammad, an attendant from remote Haihama village.
Chief Medical Officer Kupwara Dr Abdul Majeed told Greater Kashmir that solar system has went defunct from past two weeks.
“I have already taken the matter with director health services and he has assured that appropriate steps will be taken to restore the solar system,” he added.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 6 Jan 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 6 Jan 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 7 Jan 2013 00:00:00 IST