Two babies have died at the St Anne’s Hospital in Damongo in the Savannah Region due to a power outage as a result of debt.
The Northern Electricity Company (NEDCo) cut electric power supply to the hospital over a GHC4 million power debt.
The two babies, according to the hospital management, died because of an inability to transfuse blood.
Three others are in critical condition at the hospital.
Short of blood
Power supply to the hospital was disconnected for the second time last Tuesday following the facility’s failure to settle an outstanding electricity bill of over GHC4million.
St Anne’s Hospital operates under the Catholic Health Directorate.
The head of communications and clinical co-ordinator of the hospital, Dr Gbeadese Ahmed, told the Accra-based Citi FM in a radio interview monitored by Graphic Online that the two babies were lost because of the hospital’s inability to get blood from the Blood Bank due to lack of power.
He added that because of the power situation, the hospital was also unable to test for compatible blood to transfuse to the babies.
“From the very first time they disconnected us, we lost a baby, and the second time we lost another. As we speak, there is another one in critical condition and the reason is that we couldn’t transfuse [blood to] them. It looks like almost every day we are going to have a problem to deal with,” the doctor said.
Dr Gbeadese added that the hospital has suspended delivering babies since the power disconnection.
On 4 May, the electricity company cut electricity supply to the hospital, but it was later reconnected after the intervention of the Savannah Regional Minister, Saeed Muhazu Jibril.
However, NEDCo issued a warning stating that its team would disconnect the hospital again on 9 May if the outstanding debt remained unpaid.
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