Hospital blackout: UCH Ibadan assures patients’ safety despite N392 million IBEDC debt

Amid an energy bill of almost N400 million, the management of University College Hospital in Ibadan has assured patients and the public that the hospital is committed to serving them effectively.

UCH’s spokeswoman Funmi Adetuyibi, who gave the assurance in a statement issued on Wednesday in Ibadan, said this was irrespective of the power outage experienced.

The hospital has been experiencing a blackout since October 26, when the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company disconnected it due to accumulated debts.

Ms Adetuyibi said the UCH’s management has held several meetings with the management of IBEDC on payment modalities. She noted that the electricity bills from IBEDC, including accumulated bills from 2019 to date, totalled N3,104,568,114.61. She added that to date, the hospital had paid N2,916,567,724.27 and left with an outstanding bill of N392,075,161.05.

Ms Adetuyibi, however, regretted that the power disconnection resulted in the hospital’s inability to meet its patients’ mandate effectively.

“In a bid to mitigate the effects of this hardship, the management has taken some steps, which include dissemination of information to patients and alternative power sources, he told the News Agency of Nigeria.

“We have backup generators to power critical areas, including the emergency department, operating theatres, intensive care unit, laboratories, among others,” said the UCH spokeswoman. “We have also developed emergency response plans to ensure seamless continuity of patient care during outages,” She stressed futher.

Ms Adetuyibi emphasised that the management prioritised patients’ care and safety.

“Our dedicated staff are working tirelessly to ensure minimal disruption to services. We can assure that emergency services remain operational. Critical areas are receiving power supply, water is pumped whenever power is available, while patient care and treatment continue uninterrupted in critical areas.

“Efforts are at an advanced stage on provision of alternative sources of energy. Though there may be delay in service delivery, concerted efforts are being made to speedily resolve the problem,” Ms Adetuyibi stated.