UNIMEDTH to get 240-kW solar power system by October – Commissioner

BY ADETOKUNBO ABIOLA

In a move aimed at ensuring reliable electricity supply and improving healthcare delivery, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has approved the immediate installation of a 240-kilowatt (kW) solar power system at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH), Ondo.

Disclosing this while addressing newsmen, the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Engr. (Dr.) Johnson Alabi,  said the intervention was approved by the governor in response to the rising cost of electricity consumption at the teaching hospital.

He commended Governor Aiyedatiwa for approving what he described as another landmark intervention in the state’s healthcare sector, saying the project would strengthen the capacity of UNIMEDTH to provide quality medical services to residents.

Alabi said the solar project was part of the Aiyedatiwa administration’s broader initiative to make available affordable and reliable energy for critical public institutions across the state.

The initiative, said the commissioner, was also embarked upon to lesen the spending of the hospital on energy and assist it to focus its expenditures towards improved medical services.

Alabi explained that the 240kW solar installation would reduce disruptions associated with conventional electricity supply, provide a more dependable power source for the hospital, and support round-the-clock healthcare operations.

Ultimately, according to the commissioner, it would protect sensitive medical equipment, improve patient care and contribute to better health outcomes.

The initiative, he added, underscored the administration’s commitment to improving critical infrastructure and ensuring that residents have access to affordable and quality healthcare services.

The commissioner disclosed that preparations and mobilisation to the project site had already commenced, following the governor’s approval, with the state government targeting the commissioning of the facility within the first month of the last quarter of the year