Minority Calls for Exemption of Health Facilities from Load Shedding by ECG

The Minority in Parliament is calling for health facilities to be exempted from the current unannounced and unscheduled electricity load shedding by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). They are also advocating for an audit to assess the capacity and reliability of alternate power supply systems in hospitals.

In a release issued by Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health and MP for Juaboso, the Minority stated, “The Ministry of Energy, in collaboration with relevant agencies, must, without delay, exempt all health facilities nationwide from the current unannounced and unscheduled electricity load shedding and power outages.”

The Minority expressed concern over reports indicating that power outages have led to increased morbidity and mortality among patients, especially those relying on public health facilities. They emphasized the need for the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to audit all alternate power supply systems within health facilities to determine their capacity and reliability. The caucus also called for the procurement of emergency power supply systems if current systems are inadequate.

The Minority criticized the government for not heeding calls to publish a load shedding timetable to enable Ghanaians to plan their lives. They stated that the government’s implementation of a load shedding exercise is highly unjustifiable, especially in a time of so-called excess capacity. The caucus demanded swift action from relevant authorities to address these critical issues and safeguard the delivery of vital health services to Ghanaians.