The Chief Medical Director of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Wasiu Adeyemo, says the hospital is embracing renewable energy as a sustainable solution for its power needs.
The Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, revealed that the teaching hospital is taking proactive measures to conserve energy and reduce waste, adding that 20 percent of the institution’s annual budget will now be allocated towards investing in renewable energy.
In recent months, the hospital faced unprecedented electricity bills, with the cost surging from N69 million in March to N252 million in April.
The situation was worsened by an eight-day disconnection of power in July by Eko Electricity Distribution Company, which led to electricity disruption in many parts of the hospital.
Speaking to journalists, the CMD said LUTH was taking proactive measures to manage energy consumption.
Recognising the critical role of reliable power supply in maintaining healthcare standards, Adeyemo said that the hospital had already reduced its electricity usage by 25 to 30% through energy conservation efforts.
According to Adeyemo, the hospital had organised town hall meetings to raise awareness about the importance of energy conservation.
He further said, “Now, we need to manage the power in terms of our conservation. We are doing that a lot. We have reduced electricity consumption by maybe between 25 and 30 per cent. And that is going to be reflected in the bill.
“If you look at the energy consumption and electricity, there are some parts of the hospital that use other sources of energy, and that’s the purpose of complementing the public power, with renewable energy. Sometimes they take light for one reason or the other. When we don’t have light, what are you going to do? Meaning that renewable energy is going to support us.
“Some parts of the hospitals must not go without power. Places like the theatre where we operate patients; the intensive care unit where we take care of our patients who are in critical condition; neonatal units, and several other parts of the hospital.
“You know we also have the biggest cancer centre in Nigeria and West Africa. The machines that are there cannot go off for 1 second, so we need constant electricity.”
The LUTH CMD, however, commended the federal government and the Minister of Power for their support, noting that recent efforts to address the energy crisis have included the earmarking of funds for renewable energy in the 2024 budget.
