Unveiling the Ripple Effect: Power Outages and Hospital Service Distruption

This report, prepared by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) fellows Kanchan Mani Dixit, and Suresh Bhattarai under the Fellowship Programme 2024–25, assesses the vulnerabilities of critical healthcare infrastructure, focusing on Hetauda Hospital in Nepal. Recognising healthcare facilities as regional lifelines, the study analyses the interdependencies between power supply systems and essential medical services, particularly under increasing climate-related hazards such as floods and landslides.

The study identified systemic gaps through field interviews, facility inspections, and systems mapping, including reliance on a single feeder line, inadequate backup power systems, poor institutional learning from past disasters, and a lack of standard operating procedures to prioritise services during power outages. Furthermore, vulnerabilities in oxygen Supply continuity, data management, and communication channels exacerbated the hospital operational risks. For further reading, click below: