Zulum meets Borno hospitals in blackout, orders upgrade of solar-powered installation

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has ordered an upgrade of solar-powered installation at two hospitals in Maiduguri, the state capital after he discovered the hospitals were in blackout for days.

Zulum, who visited the two hospitals at about 10 p.m. on Friday, discovered that patients were in darkness due to power outage that had lingered for days.

The hospitals were Umaru Shehu Ultra Modern Hospital and Fatima Ali Sheriff Maternity Hospital, both in Maiduguri.

The governor, who had just returned from Abuja, decided to drive from the airport to the hospitals after he got hint from private sources that the hospitals were in blackout for days.

He, however, confirmed that patients were in darkness because there was lack of diesel supply to the generators at the hospitals.

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Both hospitals relied on generators due to the lack of electricity supply from the national grid after Boko Haram insurgents destroyed electricity equipment along the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway.

Speaking on the power outage at the hospitals, Governor Zulum, who was furious at the development, said: “It is very unfortunate that no official either from the Hospital Management Board or the Ministry of Health drew my attention to this outage.

“If we can power our streetlights constantly, I see no reason why we cannot power our hospitals.”

He further consoled patients and their families for being in darkness for days.

The governor, however, directed that available diesel meant to power generators at the Government House in Maiduguri be immediately transferred by trucks to both hospitals, pending his meeting with officials of the state’s Ministry of Health the following day, to find sustainable solution.

The Star