Darbhanga, Jan. 2: Patients and attendants at Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) were literally left in the dark as power supply remained disrupted for nine hours last night.

At 12am, the hospital plunged into darkness. Electricity supply could not be restored despite the hospital being connected to a private genset installed outside its premises. Hospital authorities maintained that the power generator was damaged in the stormy weather last night but sources said the machine could not be started in the absence of the operator. The operator was off duty because of January 1 celebrations, the sources added.

For the next nine hours, till 9 this morning, the hospital operated without power. Worst hit by the power disruption was the emergency ward and the neo-natal intensive care unit (ICU) where a number of newborns were admitted. The neo-natal ICU has a power back-up but the hospital administration did not “feel the need to use it”.

Two children — Radha (2) from Madhubani district and 40-day-old Dilkhush from Darbhanga — died during the blackout at the hospital. The hospital authorities, however, said the two children died due to the diseases they were suffering from and not because of the power crisis. Radha was suffering from subcutaneous emphysema (respiratory disorder) while Dilkhush was down with severe pneumonia.

Medical superintendent of DMCH Dr Suraj Nayak told The Telegraph: “Power supply was disrupted because of the storm on Sunday night. There is a generator at the neo-natal ICU but it was not used as we did not feel the need at that time.”

Confirming the death of Radha and Dilkhush, Dr Nayak said: “The two kids died because of the diseases they were suffering from and not because of power cut. Both the kids were admitted in the general children ward.”

Ram Kripal Das, an attendant whose newborn was admitted to the hospital, said: “I panicked when the power suddenly went off. The doctors at the ICU asked me to keep my baby on my lap so that he receives warmth from my body. I did as the doctor instructed and was relieved when my child stopped crying.”

When asked about the power failure at the hospital, state health department principal secretary Amarjeet Sinha said: “I got to know about the power failure at DMCH around 6am and immediately contacted the official concerned. By 9am, power supply was restored. I am very much aware of the incident but the health department cannot assure that such incidents will not occur in the future because power crisis is not manmade.”