The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has said that it could not avoid disconnecting the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, due to significant debt owed by the institution.

This was revealed in a statement issued by the company on Wednesday, according to a Guardian report.

The hospital has had a two-week blackout. Doctors and patients have be negatively affected by the power outage.

According to Busolami Toluwase, the IBEDC spokesperson, the power disconnection was a difficult but necessary measure to manage the hospital’s growing debt.

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“We sympathise with UCH’s situation. However, the disconnection was unavoidable because of the significant outstanding debt,” said Toluwase.

Toluwase added that IBEDC was under increasing pressure to meet its financial obligations, noting that payments from major clients like UCH was critical to the company’s ability to supply reliable power.

“The debts we carry directly impact our ability to provide electricity to all our customers,” she said.

IBEDC also expressed its willingness to work with UCH on a flexible payment plan.

Toluwase hinted that IBEDC could allow the hospital to regain access to power while gradually paying off its debt.

“IBEDC remains committed to finding a solution. We are open to discussing a mutually beneficial payment arrangement that could help UCH restore its power supply,” said Toluwase.

The blackout has taken a toll on UCH’s operations, with staff and patients feeling the impact of the power cut.

Oladayo Olabampe, the hospital’s Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) chairman, had appealed to the Federal Government for immediate assistance on Tuesday.

In a statement issued by the union, Olabampe said that the institution pays about N80 million monthly on power bills, despite its worsening financial situation.

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This is not the first time the distribution company would disconnect the teaching hospital due to its debt.

In March, EQ reported how the school had owed N495 million, despite getting a N619 million power allocation from the Federal Government in four years.

At the time, the power outage lasted a month and even forced medical doctors to perform surgical procedures in darkness, with the aid of flashlights.
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