At St. Anne's Hospital in Damongo in the Savannah Region, two infants have passed away and three others are in 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 verified 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, owing to the power outage, the hospital has also stopped performing births 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 electricity supply was switched off by NEDCo authorities on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, due to a GH4 million debt, but it was subsequently restored thanks 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 claims that the government is in charge of paying the facility's electrical costs.
The institution 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 people 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 had the intended result.
When approached, Maxwell Kotoka, NEDCo's Corporate Communications Manager, claimed he was aware that the hospital had been disconnected because of a debt owed to the corporation, but he would not elaborate.
Background
The NEDCo is starting a revenue push to recover the GH1.2 billion in debt that is owed to the business. The exercise, which got under way on Thursday, April 13, 2023, is aimed at individuals, businesses, and governmental organizations.
The effort, according to the corporation, will also be used to crack down on unauthorized electricity connections in the region.
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