Power shortage unsettles patients at UCH as FG keeps mum on humongous bills

By ALIMOTU SHADIAT

The management of University College Hospital, UCH, has accused Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC, of forcing the hospital into Band A, stating that despite paying N60 million in the past month, the power company two weeks ago disconnected the health facility.

The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Jesse Otegbayo said despite efforts to meet its obligations, the power company has remained adamant in charging the highest rates and is unfazed by the humanitarian services rendered by the nation’s premier tertiary hospital.

It would be recalled that IBEDC had several times disconnected the hospital this year citing unpaid accumulated debts.

‘’We have been making efforts to pay. IBEDC forced us on Band A. Our latest bill for one month is N99 million. We paid N60 million but they refused to reconnect us’’, said the CMD.

An analysis of payment scheduled offered by the UCH indicates that the power company sent a bill of N723, 095, 841.55 from January 1, 2019 to November 10, 2024 while the hospital has paid N676, 990,174.04.

“The distribution company has, against all entreaties, categorised this hospital a business concern”, the CMD lamented.
The hospital management, in a memo circulated on November 5, acknowledged the “chaotic and unbearable experience” arising from the disconnection by IBEDC and pleaded with staff, students and patients to exercise patience while alternative power sources are being strengthened.

“Management has initiated the process to ensure that power is restored to the hospital as soon as possible. Nonetheless, provision of alternative power supply to some critical areas in the hospital, with priority to the service areas which are in high demand, has been put in place through generators and solar panels/inverters, as well as pumping of water to all areas of the hospital,” the memo explained.

Last Monday, families of patients at the health facility protested the persistent power outages bedevilling the hospital. They decried recent epileptic electricity and water supply, claiming that lives of patients may be at risk.

It was reported that members of the hospital’s Public Relations Office tried to pacify the protesters who expressed anger and helplessness, citing harrowing instances where treatment and care have been disrupted due to erratic power supply.

One of the protesters said: “We are tired seeing our loved ones suffering; patients are dying because they cannot receive the medical tests needed for treatment. The outages have not only hindered immediate medical assessments but have also severely complicated ongoing treatments, leaving families in a state of despair.”

But the hospital has dismissed the claims that patients’ lives were at risk during the period of power outage and that the claims do not reflect the current operational status of the hospital.

In an official statement, UCH firmly dismissed the reports as “false and misleading,” assuring the public that the hospital’s utilities remain functional and adequate for patients care.

While acknowledging the severity of incessant power cuts by IBEDC, the public relations department affirmed that despite the power cuts, the hospital made provision for alternative power supply in its critical departments namely operating theatres, intensive care units, and the accident and emergency department.

The lamentation at UCH is experienced by many government hospitals and educational institutions. The University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, was disconnected from public power supply eight weeks ago.

The institution detected an over billing in its record, receiving a monthly bill of N10m from Benin Disco when it consumed power worth about N7m. “We confronted them with metered data of all premises. They did not like that. They wanted to transfer us to Band A, and forthwith presented us with N25m bill the following month.

“We approached the Courts and got an injunction against arbitrary transfer. Now they went berserk. Our light suddenly developed fault: transformer was not working. When we approached them to fix their transformer, they replied we had taken them to Court.

After the intervention of the state government, they called for a truce! Take case out of court, revert to BAND B. We are in a state of all motions, but no movement,” said a top management staff at the institution.