After being disconnected by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company for owing N495m, the University College Hospital in Ibadan, Oyo State, has had its power supply restored after 16 days.
According to PUNCH Online, power was restored at approximately 6.30 pm on Thursday.
IBEDC disconnected the facility on March 19, for the third time in less than two months, due to outstanding bill payments.
Explaining the disconnection, the Ibadan DisCo stated that the hospital's N495m debt, accumulated over six years, led to the disconnection after unsuccessful attempts to engage with the management.
However, upon visiting the hospital, it was observed that electricity had been fully restored, with power supply in various departments.
Power was available in departments such as Family Medicine, Emergency, Nursing, Engineering, and Pharmacology, among others.
A source within the institution informed PUNCH Online that the hospital made a partial payment of the N495m debt before the restoration of electricity.
The source disclosed that the hospital also reached an agreement with the electricity distribution company on a repayment plan for the outstanding debt.
The hospital management has paid N80m of the N495 million and has signed an agreement on how to pay the remaining amount.
The hospital needed to find a solution as the situation was becoming embarrassing.
During the period without electricity, workers had to buy rechargeable lamps to attend to patients as some of the wards were sparsely populated during the visit.
During the visit, the hospital appeared empty as some wards were operating with minimal staff.
Many patients were discharged due to the power outage, while only a few in critical condition were admitted.
Surgeries and tests were mostly conducted outside the facility due to the lack of electricity in the hospital.
The Joint Action Committee, an umbrella body of all unions in the hospital, had previously announced reduced working hours due to the power outage.
The JAC Chairman expressed concern over the lack of electricity, stating that health workers could not continue working without it.
Following the restoration of electricity, the JAC Chairman confirmed that health workers would resume full working hours from Friday.
He stated that there was no reason to continue the reduced working hours now that the issue had been resolved, and that operations would return to normal.
