“MP’s Swift Action Ensures Electricity Restoration at LEKMA Hospital”

The LEKMA Hospital, a vital healthcare facility serving a large population, faced a severe electricity supply disruption on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, due to outstanding debts accumulated over time. The hospital’s electricity was cut off by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) due to a debt of approximately 3 million cedis, leaving patients and staff in a precarious situation.

The power outage posed a significant threat to patient care, and hospital operations were nearly halted, with critical medical equipment and procedures severely impacted. In March, the Ministry of Health had issued a statement to address fears of potential electricity disconnections at 91 health facilities across the country, including LEKMA Hospital, due to unpaid bills.

However, despite these assurances, LEKMA Hospital faced a power cut, highlighting the severity of the situation and the need for urgent intervention. The hospital attempted to repay the debt in installments, but the Teshie office of the ECG deemed the payments insufficient, leading to the disconnection of electricity supply.

Relying on the standby generator was unsustainable, costing over 20,000 cedis daily and rapidly depleting the hospital’s resources, making it challenging to maintain essential medical services.Staff were advised to reduce power usage in non-essential areas and open windows for ventilation to mitigate the situation, but this was only a temporary solution.

The intervention of Member of Parliament, Benjamin Ayiku, led to the restoration of power at the facility on Thursday morning, following negotiations with the Teshie ECG office. Mr. Ayiku emphasized the critical nature of the situation for human lives, stating, “We were there for about 30 minutes, and we were told they were not going to reconnect until they paid. We were told they owed about 3 million Ghana cedis.” His prompt action ensured the reconnection of electricity supply to the hospital, saving countless lives.