Power was reportedly restored yesterday to the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan after three months of blackout due to a supply cutoff by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
The hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Professor Jesse Abiodun Otegbayo, confirmed the news.
Three months ago, IBEDC cut off power to UCH because the hospital owed millions of Naira in unpaid bills.
This led to a dispute between the hospital and the electricity company.
The Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, visited the hospital to help resolve the issue.
After discussions, IBEDC promised to restore power within 24 to 48 hours.
At first, when Vanguard asked if power had been restored, Professor Otegbayo said yes but mentioned that IBEDC was fixing a fault outside the hospital.
Later, he confirmed that power was fully restored, saying, “IBEDC power is now on in University College Hospital, Ibadan.”
During the blackout, the hospital took temporary steps to manage the situation.
They installed solar inverters in key areas like the Intensive Care Unit, Children’s Emergency Ward, Endoscopic Unit, and Cardiac Unit to ensure patients weren’t left in darkness.
Professor Otegbayo also dismissed reports that some patients had to bring their own generators, saying that several departments still had power at night due to the hospital’s efforts.
Despite this progress, he pointed out that some of the hospital’s underground cables are over 50 years old and need urgent attention, but there is no budget for it.
