Health institutions operating in the Belgravia area of Harare have appealed to the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) to spare them of load-shedding to save lives and ensure they continue in business.
The health centres said relying on generators for power was not sustainable due to the high costs incurred in buying fuel and the uncertainty of effective power supplies for their big machines.
The health institutions were under a heavy load-shedding schedule the whole of last week, going for 11 hours 14 minutes on Tuesday, 12 hours 27 minutes on Wednesday and 15 hours 59 minutes on Thursday.
They had clocked six hours 25 minutes by Friday mid-morning without power, with the electricity yet to be restored at the time of writing. This has forced the health facilities to fork out thousands of dollars to power generators.
Speaking on behalf of the health institutions in the area, Health Point Hospital head Mr Peter Annesley said the institutions could end up closing, as the situation became unsustainable. Other health institutions operating in the Belgravia area include Corporate 24, Diagnostic Imaging Centre, Haemodyalisis Centre, Well Women Clinic and Target Laboratories.
“We have been on a load-shedding schedule that resulted in us going for 38 percent of the time without power,” said Mr Annesley on Friday last week. “The results of that load-shedding are putting the viability of Health Point Hospital and other healthcare institutions in the area under dire straits.
“Since 8am on Tuesday (last week), Health Point Hospital alone has consumed nearly US$2 500 in diesel to keep the hospital operations running as we have a moral obligation to ensure care and commitment to our patients.
“This money was spent in only four days. Imagine the bill we will have to foot at the end of the month if the situation continues like this. We will definitely no longer be viable.”
Mr Annesley said the fact that the majority of the health institutions in the area were 24-hour facilities meant longer hours on expensive generators.
“We are aware of the situation Zesa and other businesses are facing, but the sad reality is that essential services are not being given priority and they inevitably face collapse,” said Mr Annesley.State media
