The outgoing medical director of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute Metta, Dr. Adedamola Dada, has disclosed that the hospital had been paying a N20 million monthly electricity bill for just three hours of daily public power supply.

The medical director said this at a media parley organised to highlight some of the hospital?s achievements and challenges.

He said to ensure an uninterrupted power supply in the facility to maintain critical health care services, the hospital has been incurring extraordinary expenses that have led to the consumption of 80,000 litres of diesel every month.

According to him, the hospital generated 95 per cent of its own power in the past seven years to keep the facility running and meet the health needs of its patients.

While speaking on how essential power is to the smooth running of any functional health facility, Dada said the development had impacted the hospital financially.

He said, ?We are the only federal public hospital that receives two to three hours supply of public power but we provide 24 hours power because we are automated and can?t function without power.

?When we wanted to switch our service to automated, a lot of people asked if it would be attainable because of the epileptic power supply in the country.

?We didn?t allow that to limit us; we factored in a power delivery mechanism and generated 22 hours of power supply on our own over the last seven years.

?Though this development has eaten deep into the hospital?s finances, it is very essential for our service.?

The outgoing MD added that the hospital has attracted more patients and public recognition over the years due to its priority for quality healthcare delivery.

The Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFEMAA) in 2022, according to Dada, declared the hospital as the most stan?ard and compliant hospital in Lagos State.

He added that the Bureau of Public Service Reform under the Presidency recently declared the hospital as one of the trailblazers in ICT use in the public health sector, among others. (Saturday Tribune)