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Bangladesh Hospitals Struggle Amid Acute Power Cuts, Hampering Patient Care
Hospitals Grapple with Severe Power Shortages
Hospitals in Barguna, a remote coastal district in Bangladesh, are experiencing severe power cuts that are significantly hindering patient care. Electricity is only available for 3 to 4 hours a day, causing patients to suffer in the intense heat. Critically, children in need of treatments like nebulizer gas are being deprived due to the lack of power. Attendants resort to hand-fanning patients, as power outages often last for more than 10 hours. A senior staff nurse at Patharghata Hospital reported having to work by flashlight during night shifts when power is completely out.
Power Crisis Impacts Medical Facilities
According to a 2024 World Bank report, nearly 60% of Bangladesh's population resides in rural areas. Power cuts have been a long-standing issue for decades, but the situation has worsened due to disruptions in oil supplies, which are attributed to the aftermath of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Although treatment is a fundamental human right globally, rural populations in Bangladesh are largely deprived of it. Existing medical facilities are now at risk because of this deepening power crisis. Dr. Ziauddin Hyder, an advisor to the prime minister and former senior health and nutrition specialist at the World Bank, emphasized that the health sector must be protected from all crises, and the electricity department must ensure that no patient's treatment is compromised by power issues.
Medical Insecurity for Rural Communities
The working people in these areas never dreamt of a luxurious life; all they ask for is the guarantee of safety for themselves and their children. However, limited access to health care and treatment, exacerbated by the power crisis, often leaves them feeling insecure. The functional disruptions in medical systems due to lack of electricity directly threaten the survival of these communities, highlighting the urgent need for government intervention to ensure reliable power and healthcare access.
*Source: YouTube: TRT World (2026-04-20)*
