Normalcy returns as IBEDC reconnects UCH to grid Wednesday

Normalcy has returned to the University College Hospital with the restoration of electricity supply to some sections after a 102-day power outage.

The management team of IBEDC, at the end of a tripartite meeting on the UCH power crisis—which had in attendance the Minister of Power, Chief Bayo Adelabu—promised that power would be restored to some sections of the hospital within 24 to 48 hours.

In fulfillment of its promise, some sections of the hospital came alive on Wednesday.

Patients, staff, and other stakeholders within the facility erupted in jubilation as the hospital brightened up with light.

It was gathered that part of the conditions agreed upon between both parties while resolving the matter was the unbundling of electricity supply to the tertiary hospital.

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The facility was unbundled into three separate parts: UCH Core Area, College of Medicine, and others (residential areas and commercial entities), with each managing its separate electricity consumption.

Findings by the Nigerian Tribune reveal that although IBEDC reconnected the UCH on Tuesday, the transformer had to undergo a ‘soaking’ process for about 24 hours before being loaded.

Soaking, according to findings, means powering the transformer at a very low voltage for a specific period before applying full load. The process requires energizing the transformer for a set duration before placing a load on it, as it had been out of use for a long time.

It was gathered that only the core clinical area would have electricity initially, while other areas would follow later.