By Ernest Bako WUBONTO
Tino Solutions Limited, a leading renewable energy provider, has installed a 4-kilovolt-amperes (4kVA) solar power system at the Katamanso Health Centre to address the persistent power challenges that forced midwives to rely on phone torches during night-time deliveries.
The GH₵150,000 intervention will ensure reliable and sustainable power for the facility, enhancing healthcare delivery for pregnant women and other patients. The solar system will power not only the maternity unit but also the outpatient department (OPD) and other critical units, improving overall healthcare delivery in the Kpone-Katamanso Municipality.
The Katamanso Health Centre serves one of the most populated municipalities in the country, with about 56,556 residents. However, the facility remains under-resourced – pushing healthcare workers to use personal resources in delivering services.
Director-Health Services, Kpone-Katamanso Municipality, Dr. Esther Priscilla Biamah, described the intervention as a “life-changing technology”, noting that the health centre had long struggled with electricity supply.
“We are grateful to Tino Solutions for bringing this solar power system to our health centre. It will not only improve our working conditions but also enhance the quality of care we provide to our patients,” she said.
Dr. Biamah highlighted that the municipality lacks a hospital, with only two polyclinics, four health centres and three CHPS compounds, all facing similar power and water supply challenges.
“The Katamanso Health Centre is the only facility serving the Katamanso, Santor, East Legon Hills, and Ashaiman-Atadeka communities. We need corporate support in expanding the facility to meet the people’s growing needs,” she appealed.
The centre recorded 6,081 OPD visits in 2024, up from 4,848 in 2023, while newborn deliveries rose from 267 to 338 within the same period.
Staffing woes
The Principal Physician Assistant in charge of the health centre, Raphael Diedong, lamented staff shortages, stating that the facility has only two physician assistants and 10 midwives without a doctor.
“The calls I receive from midwives at night during power outages are overwhelming. We tried using lamps, but they were insufficient. This intervention is timely,” he said.
