Prof. Ahmed Hamidu, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Shika, Kaduna State, has announced the hospital’s planned transition to renewable energy.
He revealed this in an interview with journalists in his office in Zaria on Monday, expressing concern that “the facility’s monthly electricity consumption of N75 million is unsustainable.”
He stated each of the critical departments and unit blocks at the hospital would need to gradually transit to renewable energy sources over time.
According to him, the hospital’s greatest challenge is energy.
He explained that “last year, we paid around ₦240 million as outstanding payment to Kaduna Electric. By the end of the year, it accumulated to over ₦200 million again.
“And due to the current increase in the energy tariff, last month alone, we paid ₦25 million, but the latest bill brought to us was ₦75 million.
“Additionally, we spent ₦47 million on diesel last month. So, when you add everything, we’re talking about over ₦100 million per month for energy, which is not sustainable.
“We are deeply concerned and don’t know where to get the money. Even if we use all the funds available in the hospital to pay for energy, it wouldn’t be enough.”
The CMD, however, said that in spite of challenges at the facility, it would not increase charges for services.
He stressed that “we cannot raise the cost of services or health inquiries due to our current challenges and our location in Zaria, which is a civil service town.
“Increasing the cost of services is not an option because patients would stop coming, and we cannot shut the hospital.
“If you were here in 2019 when I became the CMD, you wouldn’t have been able to sit in this office due to the state of the hospital.
“The problem is that the hospital has been under construction for close to 40 years, and some facilities and buildings are deteriorating.”
The hospital boss appealed to government for assistance, saying “we have exhausted all our funds, including those from patients who pay for services and other consumables.” (NAN)
