The Minority in Parliament has called for health facilities to be spared from the ongoing unannounced electricity load shedding by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and has proposed an audit to assess the reliability of alternative power supply systems in hospitals.
In a statement released by Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health and MP for Juaboso, the Minority emphasized the urgency of exempting health facilities nationwide from the current power outages and conducting an audit of backup power systems.
Expressing concern over the impact of power outages on patients, especially in public health facilities, the Minority highlighted reports of increased morbidity and mortality.
The statement criticized the government's refusal to publish a load shedding timetable, stressing the need for planning by citizens and businesses. It argued that interrupting power supply to health facilities amidst alleged excess capacity is unjustifiable.
The Minority caucus demanded prompt action from relevant authorities to address these issues and ensure the uninterrupted delivery of essential health services to Ghanaians.
Read the full statement below:
MINORITY DEMANDS IMMEDIATE EXEMPTION OF HEALTH FACILITIES FROM CURRENT UNANNOUNCED AND UNSCHEDULED ELECTRICITY LOAD SHEDDING EXERCISES; CALLS FOR AN AUDIT TO ASCERTAIN THE CAPACITY AND RELIABILITY OF HOSPITAL ALTERNATE POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS
The Minority in Parliament has noted with deep concern the devastating impact of the ongoing unannounced and unscheduled electricity load shedding on the delivery of essential health services across the country.
We are worried by reports that these outages have led to increased morbidity and mortality among patients relying on especially public health facilities.
Amid these happenings, the government has refused to heed wise counsel from suffering Ghanaians and businesses to publish a load shedding timetable to enable them plan their lives. This situation has obviously begun to take a toll on critical healthcare facilities across the country.
The Minority, therefore, demands the following urgent government interventions in order to save the people of Ghana from the ongoing crisis in the health sector:
1. The Ministry of Energy, in collaboration with relevant agencies must, without delay, exempt all health facilities nationwide from the current unannounced and unscheduled electricity load shedding and power outages.
2. The Ministry of Health working in tandem with the Ghana Health Service should:
a. Audit all alternate power supply systems within health facilities to determine their capacity and reliability in handling electricity disruptions and procurement of emergency power supply systems should be done if current systems are inadequate.
b. Provide adequate resources for the procurement of fuel and essential inputs necessary for the seamless operation of alternate power supply systems.
c. Ensure the implementation of robust maintenance and service regimes by all health facilities to enhance the reliability of their alternate power supply systems.
d. Conduct a comprehensive impact assessment to gauge the effects of recent power outages on health facility operations, including their impact on patient morbidity and mortality.
The Minority would like to reiterate that in a time of so-called excess capacity, the implementation of a load shedding exercise by government is highly unjustifiable and there can be no excuse whatsoever for interrupting power supply especially to health facilities.
We therefore demand swift action from relevant authorities to address these critical issues and safeguard the delivery of vital health services to Ghanaians.
KWABENA MINTAH AKANDOH (MP)
(Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health and Member of Parliament for Juaboso)
Kwabena Mintah Akandoh