2 babies pass away due to a hospital power outage, and 3 more are in critical shape.

At the St Anne’s Hospital in Damongo in the Savannah Region, two infants have passed away and three others are in a serious condition as a result of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) cutting off the facility’s power supply.

According to reports, the hospital’s inability to check for appropriate blood to transfuse the newborn babies with caused their deaths.

Confirmation

Dr. Gbeadese Ahmed, the hospital’s head of communications and clinical coordinator, who confirmed the occurrence, stated that because the hospital was the primary referral center in the region, the situation was having a negative impact on healthcare delivery.

He stated that due to the power outage, the hospital has also stopped performing deliveries and procedures.

“The first time they cut off the hospital, we lost a baby, and the second time, we lost another. Another patient is currently in a severe situation, and the cause is that we were unable to transfuse blood to them, he said.

Background

The hospital’s power supply was switched off by NEDCo authorities on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 due to a GH4 million debt, but it was later restored because to the intervention of Savannah Regional Minister Saeed Muhazu Jibril.

But last week, the power distribution company unplugged the facility for a second time because the hospital was unable to pay the outstanding amount.

Outpatient and administrative services were severely damaged as a result of the development, which had an additional negative influence on local healthcare delivery.

Unpaid invoices

The Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) is a member of the hospital. The hospital’s management claim that the government is in charge of paying the facility’s electricity costs.

The facility had been accumulating debt for some time since it hadn’t been paying its obligations.

The Daily Graphic said that the Out-Patient Department, which had registered at least 80 patients each day, is now completely empty.

Rashid Damba, the hospital’s accountant, bemoaned the futility of his attempts to stop the disconnect.

He said, “We have done everything humanly possible to stop NEDCo from cutting off the hospital’s power supply, but our efforts have not produced the intended result.

The hospital was disconnected because of a debt owed to NEDCo, said to Maxwell Kotoka, the company’s corporate communications manager, who declined to disclose further.

Background

The NEDCo is starting a revenue push to recover the GH1.2 billion in debt that is owing to the business. The exercise, which got under way on Thursday, April 13, 2023, is aimed at individuals, businesses, and governmental organizations.

The initiative, according to the corporation, would also be used to crack down on unauthorized electricity connections in the region.

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