Free power for life-support equipment exists on paper, but patients continue to wait

THRISSUR: Five years after the Kerala State Electricity Board ordered free electricity for life-support medical equipment in homes, the directive remains largely ignored due to employee apathy and administrative friction.

Prompted by a 2021 report in Kerala Kaumudi, the scheme covers critical devices for bedridden individuals, including air beds, suction units, and oxygen concentrators. Thousands of patients continue to miss out as local staff resist implementation, citing heavier workloads.

The policy first took shape in 2014 with an order capping free electricity at 100 units, before a 2019 revision made the supply fully free. When that iteration also stalled, another Kerala Kaumudi report pushed KSEB to issue a renewed order in 2021. The program saw partial compliance for about six months before slipping back into total inactivity.

To claim the concession, families must file a plain-paper application with the assistant engineer at their local section office. The paperwork requires a government doctor's certificate verifying that the equipment is essential for sustaining life, alongside an affidavit on a 200-rupee stamp paper.

On the official side, section engineers are expected to calculate monthly power usage for the equipment and conduct bi-annual reviews to confirm whether the life-support apparatus is still required.