The power outage did not affect critical care services at the Salmaniya Medical Complex, the Minister of Health, Dr Nada Haffadh, said yesterday.
But the wards and other 'ordinary' and non-critical care services went without air-conditioning, she said. "We ensured that there was no problem and I oversaw the management. Power supply to the SMC was restored on priority though we had immediately switched over to emergency power from generators. We requested for two extra generators from the government but we did not have to make use of them."
Dr Nada said that all the patients in the outpatient departments were attended to and others were turned away.
"The same was the case with the health centres. All those who came were attended to while most who did not need attention were turned away." She said that the health centre which had no power supply did not work in the afternoon. She said it was a miracle that no untoward incident was reported from any of the government hospitals.
"We asked for and got priority treatment from all concerned."
Private hospitals said they had immediately switched over to generators. All services were normal at the American Mission Hospital, while at the International Hospital of Bahrain, generator power kept the wards and operating theatres working as per the routine but air-conditioners in the public areas were switched off. A spokesman said routine surgeries were postponed and the staff and theatres were prepared for emergency surgeries but there was none.
© Bahrain Tribune 2004
