The health clinic electrification project is implemented under Let There Be Light International’s solar program. The objective of this project is to enable off-grid health clinic facilities in remote rural settings to access reliable clean light in order to improve health service delivery by the health workers and accordingly improve health outcomes.
Working with our consulting subsidiary on renewable energy, KACCAD has solar electrified several health clinics that lacked electricity in Luweero, Wakiso, Gomba, Kyankwanzi, Kiboga, Sironko,, Bukomansimbi, Mityana, Mubende and Amolatar districts. So far, the cumulative number of electrified clinics in Uganda are 69 under the Let There Be Light International’s (LTBLI) Solar program. This has raised the cumulative impacted catchment population to 929,675 people in Uganda.
The project is sponsored by lettherebelightinternational.org and is implemented in collaboration with the district’s health department which provides us with pre-electrification survey data that we use in assessing the level of lighting needed and the various resources that will be needed to accomplish the electrification activity.
According to the pre-electrification data obtained from those health clinics, the health workers were previously using their phones and small disposable torches to obtain light in order to be able to attend to patients who come at night. They had to pay for the charging of their phones elsewhere. In addition, the health workers were afraid to welcome whoever came to the facility at night because they could not easily tell whether the person approaching was a patient or someone with other intentions like stealing.
But after the health facilities were solar electrified, the health workers are able to attend to the patients any time during the night; can charge their mobile phones any time free of charge; and are able to power their devices like microscopes, laptops, Tablets etc. They can timely document their reports and send them to their respective district offices and the security status has improved at the premises of the health facilities because health workers say they no longer fear welcoming whoever comes to the facility at night as was the case before electrification.
Thanks to Let There Be Light International for sponsoring the program which has improved health service delivery and increased health outcomes in all parts of Uganda where the program has reached. We thank all our implementation partners, especially the district health departments in the different districts where we implement the program, for their excellent cooperation. With the availability of the necessary resources, we can together improve the lives of vulnerable communities in off-grid areas by helping them to shift out of energy poverty and enable them to access clean reliable light.
We welcome new collaborative sponsoring partners. In the case of supporting this project with funding, it costs only $3200 to solar electrify a level two health center (HCII) and $5000 to electrify a level three health facility (HCIII). Please donate here
