The Northern Electricity Company (NEDCo) has restored power supply to the St Anne’s Hospital in Damongo in the Savannah Region after it was disconnected over a GH¢4.8 million debt.
The power was restored after the intervention of the Savannah Regional Minister, Saeed Muhazu Jibril, and the Member of Parliament for Damongo (MP), Samuel Abu Jinapor.
This comes after reports on the death of two babies.
Three others are also in critical condition following the disconnection of the power supply to the facility.
The newborns lost their lives due to the hospital’s inability to test for compatible blood to transfuse, according to the management.
While addressing the media, Mr Jibril said the Regional Coordinating Council, with support from Mr Jinapor, would make part payment of the debt on behalf of the hospital.
“I have called for a meeting between the regional health directorate, the hospital management and NEDCo in my office this afternoon so that we can see the way forward because NEDCo says the amount that has been paid is woefully inadequate,” he said.
Management of NEDCo had earlier justified the company’s decision to cut power to the hospital. According to the corporate communications manager of NEDCo, Maxwell Kotoka, the hospital disregarded the notice given to facilities under NEDCo’s jurisdiction and showed no commitment when the disconnection exercise was announced.
“Needing the power which is so critical to their operation, where they have challenges, they should have engaged us, but they didn’t do that. And I heard them say that they owed GH¢4 million.
“They actually owe us GH¢4.8 million, and before we embarked on the disconnection, we made a public announcement that we were coming and said if you have any difficulty, you should take advantage of the notice before we get there,” Mr Kotoka said.