Umeme , Masaka hospital trade accusations over power outages

MASAKA.

Power distributor Umeme has denied responsibility for the adverse effects of intermittent power supply to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital which has led to loss of lives.

Hospital administrators explained that such deaths occur in critical departments such as in operation theatres, neonatal and Intensive Care Units where there is equipment which largely operate on electricity.

“There is no justification why Umeme does not allocate such a critical facility (hospital) a non interrupted power line like it does to some institutions,” said Mr Ereazer Mugisha, the hospital principal administrator, during an interview on Wednesday.

However, Ms Petra Kyarisime, the southern regional Umeme manager, said the company is not responsible for the deaths, putting the blame on the hospital administrators, whom she accused of failing to maintain other reliable alternative sources of power.

She said such power interruptions are inevitable and generally affect every Ugandan using hydro-electricity. Ms Kyarisime called upon the hospital to always maintain a standby generator.

“Connecting the hospital to a special power line has heavy financial and technical implications yet it may not necessarily offer a sustainable solution to the problem. I advise the hospital administrators to consider other alternative power sources,” she said in an interview on Wednesday.

Ms Kyarisime, however, said Umeme had sent a team of engineers to the hospital to survey the feasibility of providing the facility with a separate transformer. She added: “However, we have first have to seek clearance from the Electricity Regulatory Authority.”

About a fortnight ago, the hospital administrators filed a petition to Parliament through MPs: Mathias Mpuuga ( Masaka Municipality) and Mary Kabanda (Masaka Woman), demanding that Umeme should be forced to ensure reliable power supply to the hospital.