A new transformer connected the Ketu North Municipal Hospital to the national grid recently, marking a significant improvement in its service delivery capabilities.
The hospital serves a substantial population within and beyond the Ketu North Municipality and has been grappling with power outages since a thunderstorm damaged its only transformer.
This left the facility reliant on a costly generator for over a month, placing a heavy financial burden on the hospital.
Hospital administrator Tetteh Anthony Junior detailed the challenges faced during this period in an interview with Asaase News.
“The damage to the transformer forced us to use a generator, which significantly increased our operational costs,” he explained. “We had to purchase fuel daily, which strained our budget and affected our ability to deliver consistent care.”
Efforts to address the issue involved extensive outreach.
The hospital sent numerous appeals for assistance to stakeholders, including the local Member of Parliament, the Municipal Assembly, and other health facilities.
The media supported these appeals and involved repeated follow-ups with significant figures, including Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
Dr. Kuma-Aboagye responded by dispatching technical teams to assess the problem and ultimately providing a new 500 KVA transformer.
“The Ghana Health Service is dedicated to ensuring quality healthcare across all our facilities,” said Dr. Kuma-Aboagye. “This new transformer will help improve power supply and reliability, ensuring that healthcare delivery in Ketu North is not compromised.”
The hospital handles more than 114,864 patients annually, including 13,845 outpatients and 3,500 inpatients, and urgently needed a reliable power source for outpatients. Its emergency unit and outpatient department see over 60 patients daily.
In July, the Ketu North Municipal Hospital threatened to withdraw services due to the prolonged power crisis. However, the timely intervention by the GHS has restored stability, allowing the facility to resume normal operations without interruptions caused by frequent power cuts.
The new transformer represents a crucial step towards ensuring consistent and reliable healthcare services for the residents of Ketu North and its surrounding areas.
