"No Load Shedding, Prepaid Meters For Hospitals And Clinics"
In a move to safeguard healthcare services, the government has announced that hospitals and clinics across the country will be exempted from load shedding and will also be fitted with solar power systems to guarantee uninterrupted electricity supply.
Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora, speaking to the Sunday News, said the government recognises the critical need for continuous power in healthcare facilities.
As such, prepaid electricity meters will also be removed from hospitals and health centres, as these institutions may not always have the funds to buy ZESA tokens. He said:
Indeed, it is true that some areas have problems accessing electricity but the plan is to ensure that our hospitals are all electrified and are solar-equipped for backup because some of them have now gotten to a stage where they use solar instead of using grid electricity.
The problem that we have is that our major hospitals like Parirenyatwa and Sally Mugabe Hospitals have not been equipped with solar systems as a backup and in the event of a fault, operations are crippled.
We have since agreed with the Ministry of Energy to ensure that the hospitals do not face power interruptions.
Some clinics have prepaid meters and we agreed that prepaid electricity should be removed from hospitals and health facilities because sometimes they may not have money to buy electricity when they need it.
Energy and Power Development Minister, Edgar Moyo, said key strategic institutions such as hospitals should not suffer power cuts at all. He said:
As a ministry, we do not want all our strategic institutions to be affected by load shedding. These key institutions like hospitals must not suffer power cuts at all.
Sometimes it is because there will be faults that we find the hospitals with no power but soon after they are rectified power is restored.
If these institutions are being affected by load shedding and it is not happening that they are exempted, then that is a cause for concern.
Load shedding refers to the intentional and controlled interruption of electricity supply to manage demand and prevent a total blackout of the power grid.
Zimbabwe has experienced recurring and prolonged episodes of load shedding in recent years due to a combination of factors which include ageing power infrastructure and droughts that have reduced water levels at the Kariba hydroelectric power station, which is a major source of power.
Load shedding schedules are implemented across the country, with households and businesses experiencing power cuts that can last for several hours per day, sometimes up to 18 hours in extreme cases.
The load shedding has had significant impacts on businesses, industries, and daily life, hampering economic productivity, disrupting essential services, and causing inconvenience to citizens.
More: Pindula News
