Health dept in Raichur attains self-sufficiency in power needs

Raichur: The health department in Raichur district has become the first district in the country to become self-reliant for its energy needs by resorting to renewable sources of power.

It has installed solar panels in all its health institutions in the district with the CSR funds in collaboration with SELCO, a non-profit organisation since 2020-21. The health officials claimed that it has already completed the process of installing solar panels in 92% of the government health institutions including four taluk hospitals, six community health centres, 56 PHCs and 191 sub-centres in the district.

Raichur is known for hot summers as the district records temperatures of more than 45 degree Celsius during this season. The continuous power-cut in rural areas used to hamper the proper medical care, forcing the government doctors to refer the patients from PHCs to the district or taluk hospitals as they cannot store the medicines and other vaccines. Now, the solar power adopted in all government health buildings has facilitated the officials to keep these medicines in ice lined refrigerators that can maintain a temperature from +2 degree to 8 degree Celsius.

The District Health Officer Dr Surendra Babu said that the installation of solar power has helped the department to reduce the power requirement
by more than 40% apart from ensuring 24X7 treatment to the people of rural areas. The officials claimed that the project to install the solar system has been undertaken at the cost of Rs 8 crore.

“We have installed solar power in 92% of the buildings coming under the health department in the district. We will reach a hundred percent in the next few months after the old and dilapidated buildings of the government health institutions are shifted to the new ones. The rural people and government doctors are heaved sigh of relief now as they can provide treatment without any hesitation after they got rid of regular power cuts for 8-10 hours every day”, Dr Surendra Babu said.