Why is reliable electricity so important to health care?
Simply having light at night to see and address a health problem can be life saving. In a health facility without electricity, a doctor or nurse will struggle with emergencies and treatments. In the labor ward, a midwife will labor in the dark with few resources available to help a mother struggling during delivery or an infant born in distress.
Without electricity cold-chain dependent drugs, blood, and vaccines will be ruined. Clean water can’t be pumped, compromising sanitation and increasing the risk of infection and disease.
In many countries with limited access to electricity, hospitals and clinics need to use generators for power. But the ongoing cost for fuel and expensive repairs is a draining expense that saps limited budgets. Solar can change that.
. “In the surgical ward we use the oxygen concentrators for patients who cannot breathe on their own. Without light and electricity the concentrator is useless and the patient must be referred to the hospital in the capital of Banjul. Sometimes the patients cannot afford to go, or sometimes they are too sick to make the journey. With electricity we can save the patients here.
Before the solar panels went in, sometimes the generator would break down for one or two weeks, and we wouldn’t have lights. We had to use candles, and it made our job difficult. Now with the solar we always have light and power. We are much safer and happier now.”
Mari T Gomez – Surgical Ward
“In the freezer we keep drugs like the anti rabies, anti venom, human insulin and vaccines. Other drugs that don’t need to be refrigerated need to be ventilated and kept in a cool dry area. You cannot maintain the medications without electricity to run the refrigerator and air conditioning. The solar power project allows us to keep our expensive and essential drugs in good condition.”
Momodou S. Jallow – Medical Stores
“A lab without power is not a lab. Electricity is necessary to run tests. When the lights went out, patients who needed tests had to wait to get treatment. Electricity is also needed to keep the donated blood in the refrigerator cold and usable. Our tests require purified water, and we need water to keep the lab clean. We use to worry about all this when our generator would break down or run out of fuel. Now with solar, we no longer have to worry.
Alhajie B Jarju – Lab Technician