Monday, 11 November 2024
Home Topics Electricity In Ecuador, power-dependent patients wait in anguish as the government imposes hours-long blackouts
ElectricityHydropowerNewsWeather

In Ecuador, power-dependent patients wait in anguish as the government imposes hours-long blackouts

33
Cancer patient Linda Vidal, who relies on an electricity-powered oxygen concentrator to breathe properly, waits as Gabriela rolls her concentrator out of an elevator, amid the electricity cuts of up to 14 hours a day to deal with a severe drought, in Quito, Ecuador, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. The drought is causing blackouts because of Ecuador's heavy reliance on hydroelectric power.(AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
Cancer patient Linda Vidal, who relies on an electricity-powered oxygen concentrator to breathe properly, waits as Gabriela rolls her concentrator out of an elevator, amid the electricity cuts of up to 14 hours a day to deal with a severe drought, in Quito, Ecuador, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. The drought is causing blackouts because of Ecuador's heavy reliance on hydroelectric power. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — The first time the electricity went off at night, Linda Vidal went into panic mode. For more than a year, the 52-year-old Ecuadorian woman suffering from Hodgkin lymphoma and a chronic respiratory disease has relied on an electricity-powered oxygen concentrator to breathe properly.

Despite her condition, she is one of an estimated 1,000 power-dependent patients in Ecuador who spend hours in anguish as the government imposes electricity cuts of up to 14 hours a day to deal with a severe drought.

Like other South American countries, Ecuador has faced a prolonged dry season that has hindered hydroelectric generation, which represents 72% of the national electricity production.

When it’s time for the power to go off, Vidal must sit still without fidgeting, in anguish. for as long as her device is off in order to be able to breathe.

“For me, having a supply of energy is extremely important,” said Vidal, who lives with her younger sister in the capital, Quito. “I depend entirely on my oxygen concentrator, and I am always worried about whether we are going to have power cuts or not so that I can live.”

According to the Ecuadorian Foundation Youth Against Cancer, there are about 1,000 patients suffering from respiratory problems in the country who require the same mechanical assistance as Vidal.

“Their life is at risk. It depends on elements that are basic rights like electricity or water,” said Gustavo Dávila, the foundation’s director.

The foundation says that changing a device like Linda’s for one that works with batteries would cost more than $3,000, which is unfeasible given Vidal and her sister’s modest income.

“The biggest risk I face is that by not being able to breathe I will not get enough oxygen to the brain and will suffer a stroke,” she said.

Sitting in an armchair with her inseparable concentrator, which while connected emits a constant sound, pumps water and sends oxygen through a tube, she recounts how the recent power cuts have made her and her sister go through a nightmare.

They are orphans, single and share a home in the north center of the capital where extensive rationing is divided into two scheduled outages each day: from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. and from 5 p.m. until midnight.

Rationing “is causing anxiety, anguish, fear of dying and could even trigger a panic attack that can produce tachycardia because the sufferer feels an imminent danger of death,” said psychologist Verónica Chávez, who has spent a decade working with patients at the Youth Against Cancer Foundation.

Ecuador began establishing an electricity rationing system of up to 10 hours a day in some cities since mid-September, but the power cut hours announced Thursday are the most extreme so far.

The drought affecting several countries in South America has been linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon.

____

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Gabriela Molina, The Associated Press





Related Articles

John Podesta, U.S. climate envoy, speaks during a news conference at the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
ClimateEmissionsPoliticsUnited Nations

US top climate negotiator: ‘We won’t revert back’ as Trump prepares to take over

Amid COP29 talks, top US negotiator John Podesta says Trump’s climate rollback...

The inquiry will initially examine 47 models produced by 20 brands (Alamy/PA)
AutomotiveBusinessEmissionsPoliticsRegulations

UK govt investigating dozens of vehicle models over diesel emissions concerns

The UK government is investigating 47 diesel vehicle models over possible emissions...

The logo of Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, is seen at their headquarters in downtown Santiago, Chile March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado/File Photo
BusinessCritical MineralsEmissionsMiningRegulations

Chilean regulator charges Codelco smelter with emissions violation

Chile’s environmental regulator has filed a "serious" charge against Codelco's Potrerillos smelter...

An image of people standing behind 'COP29' logo stand.
ClimateEnvironmentPoliticsWeather

UN climate talks start as experts warn 2024 is heading for record heat

COP29 climate talks begin in Azerbaijan as the UN warns that 2024...

Login into your Account

Please login to like, dislike or bookmark this article.