The Federal Government has inaugurated a 1.5-megawatt solar hybrid mini-grid at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala, Kano, to boost reliable and affordable electricity supply for medical services.
The Rural Electrification Agency’s Managing Director, Abba Abubakar-Aliyu, disclosed this on Thursday during the groundbreaking ceremony in Kano.
The event also featured the presentation of a 1.5-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine donated to the hospital by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
Abubakar-Aliyu said the solar intervention was part of President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to strengthen electricity supply across key public institutions under the National Public Sector Solarisation Initiative.
The programme targets four critical areas: health, education, agriculture and security.
He explained that the Dala Orthopaedic Hospital, established in 1959, was selected because of its long history of providing specialised care and its increasing energy demands.
“The Honourable Minister of Power has directed us to enhance the reliability, affordability and sustainability of electricity in key public institutions.
“Today, we are issuing the groundbreaking for the deployment of 1.5 megawatts of hybrid mini-grid to this historic medical institution,” he said.
He added that the project aligns with similar deployments in 15 federal universities, including one in Kano, where REA recently rehabilitated and expanded the system to six megawatts.
According to him, the installation will also support the hospital’s newly acquired MRI machine, which requires an uninterrupted power supply.
“This is a nexus where we provide electricity reliability; the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) is providing MRI equipment to strengthen diagnostic services,” he said.
He explained that the final cost of the project would depend on the upgrade of the hospital’s distribution network and metering requirements.
The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Nurudeen Isa, described the intervention as timely and lifesaving.
“Most hospitals have been struggling with electricity bills, especially under Band A tariffs. We rely heavily on diesel generators, which are not sustainable. This intervention has come at the right time for the hospital, for the patients and for the environment,” Isa said.
Isa explained that the hospital’s MRI machine requires 24-hour power, a demand that had become too expensive to sustain solely through generators.
“With this intervention, we are good to go. It will significantly reduce costs and make services, including MRI scans, more affordable for patients,” he added.
The CMD said electricity remained the biggest operational cost for hospitals, stressing that improved supply would ease the financial burden on both institutions and patients.
“We thank Mr President and the management of the Rural Electrification Agency for providing this support at a time we need it most,” he said.
NAN
