Yilo Krobo: Health facilities incur GH¢30k debt within two weeks after days of power outage

The Yilo Krobo Municipal Health Directorate in the Eastern Region owes over GH¢30,000 in fuel purchase to power generators in the various health facilities over a two-week period.

The accumulated debt was as a result of the disconnection of electricity supply by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to the Yilo and Lower Manya municipalities.

While the lowest fuel expenditure for a health centre is GH¢200 for 24 hours, others spend as high as GH¢5,000 during the same period depending on its operations.

The health facilities are now on the verge of closure if electricity supply is not restored immediately.

The affected health facilities are Atua Government Hospital, St Martins Hospital, Yilo District hospital, Somanya Policlinic and the various CHPS and health centers.

Speaking to the issues on Wednesday, August 3 with Alfred Ocansey on 3FM's Sunrise, the Municipal Health Director, Mrs. Irena Offei, explained that “the bill as at August 1, 2022 was GH¢30,000”.

“For example, St Martins spends GH¢5,000 within 24 hours and we are paying it from our internally generated funds (IGF).”

She explained that “at health directorate, we spend between GH¢300 and GH¢500 on fuel a day, that is within 24 hours”.

Mrs. Offei noted that “[the health facilities] have been in darkness for more than a week without electricity and we are appealing to the government to restore power supply”.

She said “there was a meeting on the issue [on Tuesday] but we have not heard anything from the MCE”.

MCE reacts

The Yilo Krobo MCE, Eric Tetteh, when contacted, explained that he was not part of the said meeting.

“I was not part of the meeting because it was scheduled by the two MPs [Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi for lower Manya Krobo Constituency and Albert Tetteh Nyakotey for Yilo Krobo Constituency] who are NDC MPs.”

He said “we are working on it. We have spoken to the ECG MD and he said the issue is National Security issue so the National Security also came in”.

—3news.com |Ghana