Health department considers installing solar power in hospitals

The Department of Health is working with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to conduct a feasibility study on the rollout of solar panels in critical areas in health facilities.

They teamed up with scientists from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

According to a statement released by the department on Monday, the move is part of the energy mix to tackle the impact of load shedding and overstraining backup generators in hospitals.

This comes after the Health Minister, Joe Phaahla, announced the government’s plan to ensure that healthcare facilities are exempt from load shedding.

“The Department of Health is on the right track with efforts to ensure the priority hospitals are excluded from load shedding as part of plans to minimise the disruptions on the provision of essential health services during power outages,” the statement read.

Spokesperson Foster Mohale said the Department of Health is on the right track with its efforts to get more hospitals exempted from load shedding

The department and Eskom have since implemented the long-awaited exemption of North West hospitals, which include Taung Hospital and Ganyesa Hospital, pushing the total number of exempted health institutions from 72 to 77.

“This is a work in progress, and the inclusion of the North West hospitals is part of the commitment made by Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla that no province will be left behind,” the department said.

“Although, due to technical challenges, some health facilities will take time to be exempted.

The department said it would keep the public informed about the progress made regarding hospital exclusions around the country.

Source: Business Tech, Eyewitness News, image from Twitter: @MDNnewss

Doctor Mahlaule

Doctor Mahlaule previously worked as a Freelance Journalist at Find-it SA where he was responsible for writing news articles and sharing them on social media platforms. Doctor Mahlaule holds a Diploma in Journalism, BA in Communication Science and a BA Honours in Media Studies. Doctor began his journey as a knowledge Management and Communications Intern at Zenex Foundation. He was responsible for support in event management, social media, website maintenance, writing and brand management. On weekends Doctor attends prison ministry and shares the scriptures with inmates at Krugersdorp prison and plays soccer in the afternoon on some weekends. He has a passion for reading and writing and enjoys going out with friends and socialising in his spare time. He has a one-year-old son and is planning on getting married soon. When asked about what keeps him going, he said: “My family keeps me going. I’m the man I am because I come from a loving home. I have a very supportive family who always encourages me to keep pushing hard.”

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