‘Maternal/child mortality worsened by power outage’

A medical officer at the Maternal and Child Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Dr. Oria Adebose has said maternal/child mortality could be exacerbated by lack of access to electricity. 

He said: “Even if an hospital has the expertise and equipment to provide necessary care for patients, it might not have the electricity to use the equipment and properly see a patient in the darkness.”

Adebose explained that power failure has affected service delivery at the hospital, and that a lot of money had been spent to buy solar energy for the hospital.

“We have power cuts from 6am to 1.00p.m. It runs for about four hours till 5.00pm, switches off and comes back at 12 mid-night.”

Adebose said in July 2017, the hospital purchased solar lamps to reduce the burden of frequent power outages. 

Also, Partnerships Leader for West Africa at Greenlight Planet, Ms. Chioma Agogo, said, “Without electricity, a lot of women going into labour, especially at night, would have done so in complete darkness, potentially in riskier conditions.

“As a result of the Sun King solar lighting systems installed at the hospital, there is a significant improvement on patients’ conditions and welfare, especially during night-time emergencies.  
 
“During power cuts, the solar lamps are immediately switched on, enabling most of the clinic’s basic care services to continue, uninterrupted.”