Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions, has charged oil multinationals operating in Rivers State, to assist the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital with alternative means of power supply, so as to aid healthcare delivery services in the hospital.
This is as epileptic power supply has reportedly been a major challenge to the tertiary hospital, with reoccurring cases of power failure affecting healthcare services.
Speaking, Chairman of the Committee, Mr Paschal Chigozie Obi, said oil companies should take up up the provision of power supply to the hospital, as a part of its corporate social responsibility projects.
Obi speaking when he led members of the Committee on an oversight tour of UPTH, said the Committee was pleased with what oil companies and corporate institutions were doing in Lagos State in areas of power supply to government-owned tertiary hospitals.
He urged companies, corporate institutions in Rivers State to replicate same gesture in Port Harcourt by assisting in providing constant power supply to UPTH to carry out its health care delivery services and save lives.
“I have not seen such thing here in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, government cannot do all alone, we need your assistance and services in areas of alternative power supply to the hospital.
“We need things like independent power plants in this hospital to boost health care delivery to the people.”
The Committee Chairman further said that the essence of the visit was to monitor the capable budgetary performance of UPTH for the allocation used in its 2021/2022 budget allocations.
Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of UPTH, Prof Henry Ugboma, lamented that power supply was the major challenge inhibiting the smooth operations of the hospital.
“We have some challenges, especially in the area of power. It is a major challenge in this hospital. Right now, we use about two trucks of diesel a month, and we pay Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company an average of N20million per month.
“And for these two trucks of diesel, we pay for each N34million to keep power 24 hours it is not an easy thing because we are owing those who give us diesel.”
Follow us on twitter
