Escom prioritising hospitals – Muluzi

Minister of Health Atupele Muluzi has said that, amid rampant blackouts, the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) is prioritising hospitals when supplying power.

Muluzi said this during media briefing in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe when he was launching Child Health Days Week.

In his remarks, Muluzi said government is aware of blackouts and the implications that they may cause on children.

According to Malawi’s health minister, Escom has put in place measures to see to it that all central and district hospitals are having electricity.

He added that government has also provided gensets to the hospitals to act as backup source of power.

Muluzi further disclosed that Kasungu and Chitipa districts have in all its health facilities solar panels so that operations should not be compromised due to rampant blackouts.

However, Muluzi also admitted that the backup sources of energy such as gensets have cost complications in terms of fuel.

Recently Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) said prolonged blackouts are killing Malawians in hospitals.

According to MHEN, some patients who were on oxygen died during the time it took to switch on a generator after a blackout.

MHEN demanded ESCOM and Malawi government to make sure that health facilities have electricity for 24 hours.