TUE, MAY 30 2023-theGBJournal |The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has officially handed over 50KW solar hybrid containerized systems each to 14 Isolation and Treatment Centers (ITCs) in the South-South region of Nigeria. This significant milestone is part of the “COVID-19 and Beyond” intervention, a component under the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP) aimed at energizing health facilities and improving healthcare services across the country.
Being implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency with funding from the World Bank, the installation of these solar hybrid systems marks a major step towards closing the energy gap in the healthcare sector. This initiative is designed to not only benefit the various, active COVID-19 centers across the country but is also have impacting on the entire healthcare system, beyond the pandemic.
Records gathered from the beneficiary facilities show that these renewable energy solutions are aiding the storage of cold chain medications, powering laboratories and other critical hospital equipment, improving emergency healthcare delivery and cutting down on energy costs from diesel-powered generating sets.
The official handover of the containerized systems held simultaneously from the 17th to 25th of May, 2023, in 14 different hospitals across 6 States in the South-South: Rivers, Calabar, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Edo and Bayelsa States. By harnessing the power of the sun, these systems will reduce dependence on fossil fuels, decrease operational costs, and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Speaking on the impact of the interventions, Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, the MD/CEO of the REA, expressed his delight on the completion of the projects, adding that “in Nigeria and across the world, there is a nexus between quality healthcare delivery services and sustainable energy and the Nigeria Government is exploring this nexus through the delivery of impactful, renewable energy projects”
While on a tour of some of the facilities with the NEP team, the Head, Project Management Unit of the Programme, Abba Aliyu, commended the Chief Medical Directors and members of the Hospital management for collaborating with the REA to deliver on impactful projects.
He stated that “the handover of the systems is a testament of REA’s dedication towards providing sustainable and reliable energy solutions to power Nigeria”. He added that such interventions represent remarkable steps in improving electricity access and strengthening the overall healthcare sector, which ultimately enhances the quality of life of beneficiaries.”
While appreciating the REA’s role in implementing these projects, the Chief Medical Directors, members of the COVID-19 response team and other critical staff members across all the beneficiary institutions all shared their individual experiences on the critical role of clean, sustainable energy in healthcare delivery and how the interventions has greatly improved their services and response time.
50 of the 100 containerized solar hybrid systems earmarked for the ITCs across the nation have already been completed. An additional 400 primary healthcare centers will equally be sufficiently energized under this programme.
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