Electricity restored at LEKMA Hospital following MP’s intervention

Power has been restored to the Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly (LEKMA) Hospital after it was cut off on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, due to a debt of about 3 million cedis.

The hospital was compelled to rely on its standby generator for the whole of Wednesday, July 17, 2024.

However, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ledzokuku Constituency, Benjamin Narteh Ayiku, swiftly intervened, leading to the restoration of power to the hospital facility.

It is reported that although the hospital attempted to repay the debt in instalments, the Teshie office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) insisted that the payments fell short of the required amount.

The power disconnection nearly affected hospital operations, posing a significant threat to patient care.

Sources at the hospital revealed that relying on the generator was unsustainable, costing over 20,000 cedis a day and rapidly depleting the hospital’s resources. Staff were advised to reduce power usage in non-essential areas, with windows opened for ventilation.

Mr Ayiku explained that he pleaded for power restoration, emphasizing the critical nature of the situation for human lives.

“We were there about for 30mins and we were told they were not going to reconnect until they paid. We were told they owed about 3 million Ghana cedis.”

“After my intervention with the manager, he even told me it’s beyond him, so he called his regional director and he said that is their policy and I told him this is about human lives and if someone dies, we can’t do anything about it. I even knelt down, It was very critical,” the MP noted.

Mr Ayiku also called on the management of the hospital to reevaluate the facility’s metering system to reduce the high electricity costs.

“Even for the monthly bills, they struggle to pay. They should get a dedicated fund to manage the debt while concentrating on current bills. Separating meters will help manage the costs,” he added.