Lagos: Dr. Adedamola Dada, the outgoing Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta, has revealed that the hospital incurs a monthly electricity bill of N20 million for only three hours of daily public power supply.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, this significant financial burden has necessitated the use of 80,000 litres of diesel each month to maintain an uninterrupted power supply, which is critical for the hospital’s operations.
Dr. Dada shared these insights during a media parley aimed at outlining the hospital’s accomplishments and obstacles. He emphasized that over the last seven years, the hospital has been responsible for generating 95% of its power to ensure continuous service delivery and meet patient needs. The heavy reliance on self-generated power due to insufficient public power supply has had a financial impact on the hospital.
Highlighting the hospital’s unique position, Dr. Dada noted that FMC Ebute Metta is the only federal public hospital receiving just two to three hours of public power supply daily, yet it maintains a 24-hour power supply due to its automated systems. The decision to switch to automated services was initially met with skepticism due to the country’s unreliable power supply, but the hospital implemented a power delivery mechanism that has allowed it to generate 22 hours of its own power supply every day for the past seven years.
Despite the financial strain, Dr. Dada asserted that the uninterrupted power supply is crucial for the hospital’s services. The high quality of care provided has resulted in increased patient numbers and public recognition. In 2022, the Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFEMAA) named the hospital as the most standard and compliant in Lagos State. More recently, the Bureau of Public Service Reform under the Presidency recognized the hospital as a pioneer in utilizing ICT in the public health sector, among other accolades.