Delta govt flags off solar-powered grid in public hospitals

Alphonsus Agborh | Asaba

Delta State government  has flagged off the provision and installation of solar-power grid in 15 of its  hospitals across the state.

The gesture is to ensure regular electricity power supply, as well as quality and affordable healthcare service delivery in its health facilities.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mordi Ononye, said the idea of alternative solar energy is to ensure steady power supply to specific units such as radiology, laboratory, pharmacy, accident and emergency, among others in the hospitals.

Ononye further said that the equipment in those units are delicate and must not be subjected to fluctuations and sudden power surges that often cause equipment damages.

Dr Ononye disclosed this  at the Ogwashi-Uku General Hospital in Aniocha South Local Government Area of the state during the flag-off ceremony of the provision and installation of 40KVA and 60KVA solar-power grid for the six central and nine general hospitals in the state. Nigerian Tribune gathered that there are about 70 public hospitals across the state.

Ononye, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry at the event, Dr.  Philomena Okeowo, said the interventions were critical for boosting electricity power supply for optimum utility of the newly supplied equipment to the 15 selected health facilities in the state with the view to further strengthen healthcare service delivery in the areas.

“Recently, the six central hospitals at Kwale, Warri, Agbor, Sapele, Ughelli and Oleh and nine general hospitals at Ozoro, Ogwashi-Uku, Akwukwu-Igbo, Umunede, Agbarho, Oghara, Patani, Okerenkoko and Bomadi were upgraded with state-of-the-art medical equipment in order to ensure improved access to health services and meet the policy objective of providing health for all Deltans.

“These intervention no doubt will secure the huge investment the Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration has made in the health sector evident in the supply of the medical equipment for the benefits of residents of the state,” the commissioner added.

He listed the economic gains of the intervention to the state government to include cost effectiveness, reliability, reduction of energy bills, tax saving potential and contribution to nature, among others which is why globally, countries are embracing solar-powered energy.

In his address, Director Hospital Services/Chief Executive Officer, State Hospital Management Board, Dr. Paul Okubor, described the intervention as massive, adding that to a large extent, it will provide alternative power to the health facilities thereby reduce drastically the need for deployment of other sources of power such as diesel and fueling of generating sets.

He expressed gratitude to the Governor Okowa for his understanding of the problems of the hospitals in the state and efforts geared towards addressing the problems in the medical sector.

Earlier, Medical Director, General Hospital, Ogwashi-Uku, Dr. Afinotan Lawrence, described the intervention as historic in the sense that it will address the issue of poor power supply in Ogwashi-Uku as a whole over time.

“On our own as a hospital, we had made efforts to address the power problem in this hospital by purchasing petrol powered generating sets and small capacity solar-powered devices and still could not get round the problem but thank God for this intervention which will no doubt address the problem for us,” the Medical Director said.

Chief Technical Officer, Heartland Integrated Resources Limited, who is also the contractor handling the project, Engineer Felix Omokaro,  described the project as the use of clean and safe energy to meet the power needs in the selected hospitals..

He disclosed the contents that will make up the power grid for Ogwashi-Uku General Hospital to consist of 96 ( 300WATT) panels; 4 (10KVA)  inverters; 4 (120A)  solar charge control for the inverters and 8 ( 15 kilowatt)  hour batteries, among others.

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