A foundation, Heinrich Boll Stiftung ( HBS), has advocated that all the Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) nationwide be connected to the national grid and subsequently metered.
The foundation in a survey it carried out on PHCs in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), also lamented that the budgetary provision for the powering the health centres was too low.
The research was conducted by the foundation’s Nigeria program Manager, Ikenna Ofoegbu, Lead Researcher MsTsema Okoye and co-lead researcher, Tunde Salman.
Presenting the survey result at a recent stakeholders’ meeting on how to increase power supply in the PHCs in Abuja, Mr Tunde Salman of Good Governance Team, called for the immediate stoppage of the disconnection of PHCs’ light over non-payment.
He said PHCs should be seen as part of the government agencies that are rendering essential services to the country.
Salman also called for the introduction of renewable energy system in PHCs in order to save the cost of powering the centres.
He said: “Funding for powering the PHCs in the FCT is also very low. The amount budgeted at the policy level is inadequate and at variance with the resources needed at facility level.
” Electricity Distribution Companies continually disconnected many PHCCs for none payment of electricity bills; sometimes for as long as a year and more.
“Renewable energy has made it possible to provide vaccines and other basic health services in remotes areas. Renewable energy technology would thus serve better the needs of rural health centres and the community at large.
“Health facilities with solar power performed significantly better than those without; thereby establishing connection between access to reliable electricity by health facilities and better health outcome in rural communities.
” When building new PHCs care must be taken to ensure that proper provisions are made to ensure they are functional. And central to their functionality should be adequate provision of equipment and clean reliable energy to power the facility
” Disconnection from grid electricity should be restored. All PHCs facilities should be connected to electricity supply available from the national grid and adequate overhead costs set aside for regular payment of electricity bills. There is also need to meter all PHCs.
“PHCs particularly those located in remote places should be eligible to benefit from the Power Consumer Assistance Fund (PCAF) as encapsulated in part VIII of Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act of 2005. The EPSR Act made provisions for PCAF to be used to subsidize for underprivileged power consumers as specified by the Minister [of Power] as stipulated by S. 83 (1 and 4).
