Health institutions operating in the Belgravia area of
Harare have appealed to the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) to
spare them of load-shedding to save lives and ensure they continue in business.
The health centres said relying on generators for power was
not sustainable due to the high costs incurred in buying fuel and the
uncertainty of effective power supplies for their big machines. The health
institutions were under a heavy load-shedding schedule the whole of last week,
going for 11 hours 14 minutes on Tuesday, 12 hours 27 minutes on Wednesday and
15 hours 59 minutes on Thursday.
They had clocked six hours 25 minutes by Friday mid-morning
without power, with the electricity yet to be restored at the time of writing.
This has forced the health facilities to fork out thousands of dollars to power
generators.
Speaking on behalf of the health institutions in the area,
Health Point Hospital head Mr Peter Annesley said the institutions could end up
closing, as the situation became unsustainable. Other health institutions
operating in the Belgravia area include Corporate 24, Diagnostic Imaging
Centre, Haemodyalisis Centre, Well Women Clinic and Target Laboratories.
“We have been on a load-shedding schedule that resulted in
us going for 38 percent of the time without power,” said Mr Annesley on Friday
last week. “The results of that load-shedding are putting the viability of
Health Point Hospital and other healthcare institutions in the area under dire
straits.
“Since 8am on Tuesday (last week), Health Point Hospital
alone has consumed nearly US$2 500 in diesel to keep the hospital operations
running as we have a moral obligation to ensure care and commitment to our patients.
“This money was spent in only four days. Imagine the bill
we will have to foot at the end of the month if the situation continues like
this. We will definitely no longer be viable.”
Mr Annesley said the fact that the majority of the health
institutions in the area were 24-hour facilities meant longer hours on
expensive generators.
“We are aware of the situation Zesa and other businesses
are facing, but the sad reality is that essential services are not being given
priority and they inevitably face collapse,” said Mr Annesley.
“Consequently, the medical community and the 24-hour
medical facilities based in Belgravia are imploring Zesa to reconsider the
load-shedding regime affecting the area.”
Mr Annesley said most of the machines used by the medical
facilities in the area were state-of-the-art and difficult to replace in the
event they were damaged by limited power.
He said in the case of generators, the machines were big
and thus required large generators that consumed more fuel.
“The generators should only be for emergencies in the case
of a power fault,” said Mr Annesley. “But they have become the primary source
of power, which is not tenable.
“We appeal to the relevant authorities to help keep these
laboratories and health institutions running, otherwise we are bound to see a
further reduction in healthcare standards.”
Zesa recently embarked on a punishing load-shedding
schedule throughout the country, citing falling water levels in Kariba Dam
where some of the electricity is generated. Herald
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