Electricity back at SFGH after 6 hours

A FULL electricity supply was restored to the San Fernando General Hospital around 8.20 pm on Thursday, almost after six hours of darkness.
The power outage occurred shortly after 1 pm, affecting close to 600 patients. Those in critical condition had to be moved to the nearby teaching hospital.

Visitors said the last meal was served to patients around 2 pm as some staff refused to work in the darkness.
Director of Health at the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) Dr Albert Persad, in a text message around 9 pm, confirmed that power was restored “some 25 minutes ago.”

The SWRHA later issued a statement saying “the electrical services at the SFGH were briefly interrupted earlier this evening.”
This blackout came just two weeks after TTEC illuminated the Rienzi Kirton Highway from the hospital to Skinner Park.

The SWRHA said the disruption was caused by an issue with the main electrical panel. In response to this, it said, “As a precautionary measure, a substitute breaker was immediately sourced and installed.”

Rather than the interruption being “brief,” it admitted, “In order for this installation to take place, electrical services were disrupted…for an estimated four hours while the new breaker was being connected.”
It said once the standby generator kicked in, “All services continued as normal as appropriate contingency measures were immediately implemented to ensure that patient care was not compromised.”

The SWRHA thanked “our dedicated staff for their immediate response” and apologised to patients and staff for any inconvenience.