Starsight powers hospital in Ekiti to reduce Covid-19 testing time

TNT Newsline June 11, 2020 3 minutes read

Chibisi Ohakah

As the federal government continues the fight against the spread of COVID-19 and its management, nationwide, a leading Nigerian supplier of commercial and industrial solar energy in Africa, Starsight, has led the way with the successful installation of solar power to a hospital in Ikole, Ekiti state, serving as a Covid-19 Center.

Reports said the new system, which is a reliable source of clean energy will be used to speed up Covid-19 testing in the center.

The recently installed off-grid solar systems will mainly help to reduce the screening time for potential Covid-19 patients.

They will also improve the quality of care by ensuring the safety of vaccines and medicines by keeping them at the right temperature. They also will provide the possibility to efficiently use modern equipment and ensure the smooth running of medical operations.

Starsight financed and implemented all stages of the five-year electrification project, from the technical assessment of the hospital’s energy needs to the installation of the equipment.

The company was supported by Helios Investment Partners, a private equity firm focused on emerging markets, and by Africa Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), a private equity fund manager, both of whom are shareholders in Starsight. The company also received support from the Ekiti state government.

For several years, the Ikole Hospital is said to have suffered an unstable electricity supply from the national grid. The hospital facility reportedly receives only about eight hours of electricity each month.

This is far too short a supply to effectively care for all the patients who come to the hospital, especially in the face of the pandemic.

To address the hospital’s electricity shortage, Starsight, the leading Nigerian supplier of commercial and industrial solar energy in Africa, decided to supply the hospital with solar energy. The hospital now has a reliable and stable source of clean energy.
“This is a palpable example of what can be achieved when the public and private sectors work together,” said Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti State.

Out of its large stock of equipment, the supplier Starsight has reserved more than 1 MW for the health sector and the fight against Covid-19. Thus, the company plans to supply renewable energy to other hospitals and clinics after the Ikole hospital.

The company says it has proved its worth in Nigeria, having installed about 27 MW of generation assets and 20 MW of storage at 362 sites across all states in the country.