Minority Calls for Exemption of Health Facilities from Load Shedding

The Minority in Parliament is calling for an exemption of all health facilities across the country from the ongoing load shedding.

Kwabena Mintah Akandho, Member of Parliament for Juaboso and ranking member on the health committee of Parliament, emphasized the urgent need to exempt health facilities from power cuts. He highlighted the potential risks of power outages in health facilities leading to avoidable fatalities, citing a recent tragic incident at the Tema General Hospital.

A distressed mother, Rashida Abubakar Tetteh, recounted the loss of her three-day-old baby allegedly due to a power outage affecting critical medical equipment in the hospital. Despite the denial by the hospital management regarding the cause of the fatalities, the Minority stressed the importance of ensuring uninterrupted power supply in all health facilities to prevent such incidents.

Mintah Akandoh emphasized the essential role of electricity in facilitating effective healthcare delivery and underscored the potential life-threatening consequences of power cuts in healthcare settings. He called for immediate action to exempt health facilities from load shedding and urged the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to conduct power audits in healthcare facilities nationwide.

Addressing the issue on News Central on TV3, Mintah Akandoh highlighted the need for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the infant’s death. However, he reiterated the undeniable importance of electricity in healthcare operations and the imperative to safeguard patients’ lives by ensuring uninterrupted power supply in health facilities.

In conclusion, the Minority in Parliament demanded the immediate exemption of all health facilities from load shedding and urged authorities to prioritize the safety and well-being of patients by ensuring continuous access to electricity in healthcare settings.