Epidemic Alert in Nicaragua Due to Power Cuts
For several weeks, power cuts affecting Nicaragua could unleash epidemics in the country for lack of water in schools and hospitals, warned the local media.

The energy crisis and its possible consequences for Nicaraguans´ health made this Sunday´s headlines in La Prensa as well as El Nuevo Diario, the two newspapers of national circulation.

Both papers carry stories on the serious situation throughout the country where power cuts in most cases exceed their scheduled times by Spanish transnational Union Fenosa, in charge of electricity distribution.

Schools, hospitals, clinical labs, blood banks are among the most affected facilities, thus jeopardizing hygiene due to lack of water and refrigeration.

Economic losses suffered by merchants and producers are added to an increase in crime rates during the blackout hours at night, according to data revealed by the police.

According to the National Cargo Dispatch Center, the energy deficit is around 90 megawatts per hour, making the distributing company to schedule blackouts in the whole country which consumes an average of 400 megawatts per hour.

Most of Nicaragua´s power plants producing 70 per cent of the country´s energy consumption, are out of service due to technical breakdowns or are working way below their installed capacity.

Also, the Apanas hydroelectric plant faces serious problems with the water flow moving its turbines due to the drought affecting the zone where it is located.