Cape Town - As South Africans continue suffering due to the rolling blackouts, the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness has implemented plans to safeguard its facilities from the increasingly severe blackouts.
According to the Department, in the next 12 months, it plans to install hybrid inverters in every rural primary healthcare (PHC) facility over two phases and install solar panels at 15 hospitals.
Head of the department, Dr Keith Cloete, said these urgent interventions are key components of the department’s strategy to incorporate renewable energy into healthcare facilities to ensure a service can be provided to patients visiting the facilities.
“Over the past year, blackouts have intensified significantly. We have had only one day without blackouts this year. It is a direct threat to the delivery of healthcare services in the Western Cape.
“This is why we are pushing ahead with these initiatives, as we cannot sit back and wait for this issue to be resolved.
“In my capacity, I look forward to the rollout of these interventions and the strides the department will make in protecting our patients and communities from the impacts of rolling blackouts,” Western Cape Health and Wellness MEC Nomafrench Mbombo said.
The department said the Rural PHC hybrid inverter initiative would ensure health facilities services will remain uninterrupted and crucial technology and equipment will be functioning to meet the community’s essential primary healthcare requirements such as:
· IT equipment for dispensing medicine and handling patient information
· Fridges for vaccines and medicine storage
· Ventilation equipment at TB facilities
· Consultation instrumentation
· Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) allows our facilities to be contactable
According to the department, three of the 51 clinics earmarked for the rollout have already had hybrid inverters installed during phase one.
The department has set aside R35 million to complete Phase one, while Phase two will include 70 rural facilities and commence after the completion of the Phase one facilities.
The department said the total cost for both phases of this project at 121 rural PHC facilities is estimated at R81 million.
The department will also be installing solar panels at 15 hospitals across the province, which comes at an estimated cost of R80 million.
It said this would be done irrespective of further hospitals being exempted from load shedding by Eskom.
“While we acknowledge this money could have been directed elsewhere, we cannot let our clients go without receiving essential health services due to a facility not having electricity.
“The department is committed to ensuring our facilities are empowered to look after the health needs of our communities,” Dr Cloete added.
IOL