KATH shifts increasingly to solar power use

Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), the nation’s second largest referral facility, is increasingly shifting to the use of solar power to cut down its energy bill.

There is the additional advantage of uninterrupted power supply for its operations.

Dr. Joseph Akpaloo, the Chief Executive, said it had already installed a 42 kilowatt solar system at a cost of US$320,000.00 to supply power to its newly constructed Eye Centre.

This was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Himalayan Cataract Project.

Dr. Akpaloo, who was opening the hospital’s annual performance review meeting in Kumasi, said the management was seeking further assistance from its development partners to provide additional solar power systems.

This is part of the overall strategy to take the facility off the national grid and improve its energy security.

He noted that the past year was “extremely difficult” for the hospital, citing frequent breakdown of diagnostic equipment, supply difficulties with some consumables and the month-long nationwide industrial action by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA).

These, coupled with infrequent reimbursement of claims by some of its major clients, adversely affected its operations.

Dr. Akpaloo, however, said despite the challenges the hospital was able to make significant progress and pointed to the installation of new elevators at the old “Gee” blocks, procurement of seven additional dialysis machines, the introduction of Electro Encephalography (EEG) services for both adults and children and the outsourcing of revenue collections to a private bank.

The hospital also spent about GH? 601,558.36 to sponsor the training and capacity building of some of the staff.

Dr. Akpaloo said again, many of its directorates embarked on outreach programmes to provide medical services to people in rural communities and offer training to health professionals.