Power cut hits brain rehab unit in Colchester (From Essex County Standard)

Power cut hits brain rehab unit in Colchester

2:00pm Sunday 15th April 2012 in News

POWER cuts forced staff at a brain injury rehab centre to hand out medicine by torchlight.

Myland House, in Mile End Road, Colchester, was plunged into darkness by the blackout, caused by a faulty underground cable. It affected 50 properties and lasted for almost a day.

Support staff at Myland House used torches to check the drugs they were giving and took patients out for a pub lunch because the power cut affected their kitchen.

One of them, Kerry Ironmonger, said: “It was a bit mad, but no one was distressed. The concern was for their medication, which is something we really had to think about.”

After lunch at the pub, the residents were driven to another centre, Dovercourt House, in Harwich.

Myland House is a residential rehabilitation community house for five adults, owned by the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust.

It looks after people with brain injuries whose communication and memory have been affected.

Spokesman Sarah Clifford said: “The staff were really good. There was an element of good old British spirit and the electricity company was very helpful.”

Engineers dug up the road outside the home to fix the cables.

A UK Power Network spokesman said: “We apologise to customers who experienced power interruptions. Although repairs are completed, the road surface needs reinstating. This will be done as soon as possible.”

Power was back at all properties by 12.15pm on Thursday.