The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Health Reporter
VICTORIA Chitepo Provincial Hospital recently received a timeous boost in its power supply after a development partner installed 294 solar panels, a project that is meant to provide clean and renewable energy to the health institution.
The solar panels which have a capacity of 140 kilowatts were installed by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with Ministry of Health and Child Care.
The project is part of the UNDP’s Solar for Health initiative aimed at improving access to quality health services by ensuring uninterrupted power supply to health centres across the country.
In an interview last week on Thursday, Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital’s acting health services administrator, Mrs Leonarda Mutara said the move is a timely intervention as the hospital was battling with frequent load-shedding and power cuts that affected its operations.
She said the solar panels will enhance the hospital’s service delivery and patient care.
Mrs Mutara also said the solar power system will power critical equipment such as oxygen concentrators, incubators, ventilators, refrigerators and sterilisers, while also improving the hospital’s infection prevention and control measures, as well as its environmental sustainability.
She said the solar panels will help the hospital to reduce its dependence on the national grid which is often affected by load shedding and power outages.
“Previously, we had to rely on a back-up generator whenever there were power outages. The solar system will be able to power the entire hospital, but it is mainly for the maternity wing, special baby care unit, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as well as the laboratory department. For the other departments, the solar power system will be catering for lighting and other low power demanding machines,” she said.
Mrs Mutara said the back-up generator only catered for the maternity wing, theatre, ICU and the special baby care unit.
“Before this, we would have lighting challenges especially at night and we would end up using candles in our wards since the back-up generator only had specific departments it was accommodating. We would also face fuel challenges for the generator, especially at that time when there were fuel shortages in the country,” she said.
Mrs Mutara also said the solar power system will help the hospital to save on its electricity bills, which are currently consuming a lot of money per month.
She said they expect the contractors to finish working on the project by December as they are currently waiting for the delivery of a consignment of batteries, with hopes that the hospital will be fully benefiting from the clean and renewable energy by January.
“The project’s construction is expected to be completed by December. The hospital will start producing its own clean and renewable energy between late December and early January. This is a significant milestone for the hospital and the Manicaland community at large,” she said.
UNDP’s Solar for Health initiative is supporting Governments to install solar systems in health facilities across Africa, Arab States and Central Asia, helping to provide reliable and cost-effective access to electricity, while also reducing emissions which harm the environment.
This is in line with the UNDP Strategic Plan 2018-2021 and as outlined in the UNDP 2016-2021 HIV, Health and Development Strategy: Connecting the Dots, Solar for Health is making a contribution to many of the goals of the 2030 Agenda and its commitment to ‘leave no one behind’, according to the UNDP’s website.
By utilising technologies to ensure healthcare delivery reaches remote and under-served communities, it is helping countries in their efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals three, seven, 13 and 17 which is good health and well-being, affordable and clean energy, climate action and partnerships.
