Several operations scheduled for the day were canceled. All elevators, air-conditioners and other equipment stopped working. After four hours the air-conditioners started working partially.

“Shops in the neighborhood of the hospital had sold out all their battery-run fans and air coolers,” said Abdul Rahman Al-Harbi, a relative of an inpatient, after he returned from the market unable to buy a fan when heat inside the ward became unbearable.

A relative of another patient who was to have a surgery that day confirmed several operations were canceled.

He also wondered why the hospital authorities did not have contingency plans for such a situation.

Director of Public Relations at the Health Directorate in Madinah Ahmad Al-Barboushi said the directorate had made contingency plans to deal with power cuts.

He blamed patients and their relatives for not exercising enough patience until the maintenance workers had switched on reserve generators.

“Relatives rush to buy fans or air cooling devices without waiting for the hospital workers to assess the situation and take necessary steps to help the patients,” Al-Barboushi said.