Chronicle Editor
Health institutions along with security installations are special zones; a matter of life and death. They give life and sustain it. They are the essence for the defence of the country, its interests and people.
As such, no resource must be spared in ensuring that they deliver the services for which they exist. Hospitals giving birth to life, treating the sick and so on. Security institutions securing the country, its interests and its people.
Authorities are investing a lot in building, equipping, maintaining and staffing health institutions all over the country. That must be commended and must continue.
However, the economic challenges of the past two decades or so and natural factors such as droughts have made it difficult for the Government to ensure energy security at some health institutions. From time to time, services at a number of hospitals are disrupted by power cuts amid load shedding. This poses a threat to life, which worries us.
It has been long in coming but a recent announcement, as reported in the latest edition of our sister paper Sunday News that the Government is working to ensure critical institutions like clinics and hospitals are shielded from load shedding is to me commended.
In addition to shielding them from power cuts amid load shedding caused by a drought and operational bottlenecks at Hwange Thermal Power plant, Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora noted that the institutions would also be equipped with solar systems for uninterrupted power supplies.
“Indeed, it is true that some areas have problems accessing electricity but the plan is to ensure that our hospitals are all electrified and are solar-equipped for backup because some of them have now gotten to a stage where they use solar instead of using grid electricity,” he said.
“The problem that we have is that our major hospitals like Parirenyatwa and Sally Mugabe Hospitals have not been equipped with solar systems as a backup and in the event of a fault, operations are crippled. We have since agreed with the Ministry of Energy to ensure that the hospitals do not face power interruptions.”
The Minister of Energy and Power Development, Edgar Moyo, described health facilities as “strategic” institutions that “must not suffer power cuts at all.”
It is great that there is this realisation at the top level that reliable power supply is critical at health institutions and that the Government has already moved to make sure that the facilities are ring-fenced from load shedding.
When it comes to life, costs must not be a factor at all. It must just be preserved and made more comfortable.
We, therefore, look forward to a national installation of solar systems, not back-up diesel generators, at all our clinics and hospitals. The Government can draw from the support of its partners to make this a success.
The UN has already chipped in by installing 350-kilowatt solar systems at United Bulawayo and Mpilo Central hospitals. It will be a matter of just expanding this into a national drive so that all health centres across the country run efficiently for the good of our people.
Sidumisile Mabena