At Kayunga Hospital in Uganda, medical instruments include not only scalpels but flashlights.
Unlike about 75 percent of households in Africa, the hospital is lucky enough to be connected to an electrical grid. But the hospital only gets electricity every other day – about 15 days a month—and there’s a time lag before the generator clicks on, explains Dr. Musisi Dirisa.
“Many times you have to improvise and use a torch or something like that,” he says.
“It’s a big challenge for us. Many times we have to refer patients to other hospitals, which is a cost to the hospital and puts the lives of the patients in danger.”
Seven Times Less Power
Sub-Saharan Africans use seven times less electric power than people in high income countries, according to the World Bank’s Little Green Data Book, released May 8 during United Nations Sustainable Development meetings in New York.
See full Press Release.
Posts
