The lives of patients at the University College Hospital (UCH) once more are in danger following another disconnection of public power supply to the hospital by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Plc (IBEDC) over an alleged humongous amount of electricity bill debt.

IBEDC had about three weeks and some days ago disconnected the hospital over alleged debt running into hundreds of millions of naira.

However, the light was later restored to the hospital. Sources said that UCH management had earlier in the month paid N15 million to IBEDC and later paid IBEDC N25 million out of the outstanding amount said to be about N495,075,832.35.

Sources further explained that N65 million is the average monthly electricity bill of the UCH charged by IBEDC.

They also said on Saturday that the IBEDC later disconnected the hospital from the public power supply.

It was gathered that the N25 million (a portion of the N495,075,832.35 outstanding electricity debt) was paid on Friday evening.

They decried that the disconnection could force health professionals to use inverters and solar systems for their operations even during emergencies, which is insufficient to sustain life-saving treatments thereby slowing down major m the average of medical interventions and endangering the lives of patients.

They also lamented that it could worsen activities at the Computed Tomography Unit (CTU) where patients for scans and various types of X-rays may wait indefinitely.

They called for immediate intervention to remedy the situation and save the patients from avoidable deaths.

A source said: “The power issue is pathetic as it could put the lives of patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in jeopardy. The patients would be forced to lie in darkness with no access to vital equipment.

“If the situation persists, the mortuary will end up emitting a foul odour as frozen corpses begin to thaw, as UCH rations generator usage due to the cost of diesel.”

Efforts to get the responses of the Chief Medical Director, UCH, Dr. Jesse Otegbayo and IBEDC spokesperson, Busolami Tunwase, proved abortive as their calls did not connect. (New Telegraph)

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