Hospital faces distress with LPG shortage

Amid the backdrop of war, the LPG crisis has now begun to affect hospitals as well. For the past few days, the Sramajibi Hospital in Belur has been grappling with fuel shortage. Unable to procure sufficient cylinders, the sixty-bed hospital has been forced to cook meals on wood-fired stoves.

Belur Sramajibi Hospital has been providing healthcare services since 1994. From its inception, the facility has had the infrastructure to provide cooked meals to its patients. Meals are prepared daily for approximately 200 people, including doctors, patients and staff members. In addition, around 150 people eat daily at the Shramajivi School.

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Over the last few days, the Sramajibi Hospital in Serampore has also fallen victim to the LPG crisis. While 10 cylinders are required, the hospital is receiving only one or two. Consequently, alternative fuel arrangements have become necessary: wood-fired stoves have been constructed and firewood is being purchased.

It is not only hospital patients who are in distress; their relatives are suffering as well. Until recently, family members of patients would take their meals at small eateries located near the hospital. However, due to the LPG shortage, these eateries are also on the verge of shutting down. As a result, patients’ relatives are often going without food for extended periods, whether during admission procedures or on the days of scheduled surgeries.

Furthermore, owing to the lack of LPG, many auto-rickshaw drivers have suspended their services. As a result, connectivity between Serampore Sramajibi Hospital and Sheoraphuli Station has been disrupted, creating significant difficulties for patients requiring transport.

This crisis, unfolding in recent times, is unprecedented in the hospital’s history. Sramajibi Hospital performs numerous complex surgeries and receives patients from far-flung areas, many of whom find it impossible to bring home-cooked meals with them.

Basudev Ankure, a kitchen staff member at Srirampur Sramajibi Hospital, said, “Cooking with wood in this manner is extremely arduous. It also fills the hospital premises with smoke. We are somehow managing to prepare just one or two dishes.”

Gautam Sarkar, the hospital’s Joint Secretary, said, “We are at a loss as to how much longer we can continue operating in this manner. In addition to patients, the hospital provides meals to doctors, nurses and staff members across all departments. The government must fulfil its promise and ensure the immediate supply of LPG to hospitals and educational institutions.”