Solar Project Saves Lives

In May 2020, the Mwandi hospital was designated as the COVID-19 Center for its district in Zambia. The added costs of care for each COVID-19 patient is projected to be 80% over the hospital's current costs for non-COVID patients. These increased costs cannot be absorbed by the hospital’s operating budget for a number of reasons, including the fact that the national electric company, ZESCO, raised the costs of its power by 100% earlier this year. 

In the last two years, Phase 1 of our solar project reduced the hospital's use of ZESCO power in its main building by 16,716.28 kWH (a 70% decrease compared to usage before Phase 1). However, the cost savings accomplished by the reduction in this one building will be minimized by the 100% increase in charges for the ZESCO power utilized by the hospital's other buildings. In addition, monthly operating grants given by the Zambian government to hospitals around the country, including Mwandi, are increasingly unreliable. Moving forward with Phase 2 of our solar project is becoming more and more urgent!!

We are in the process of completing a comprehensive master plan for the entire hospital compound. In addition to expanding hospital wards and other facilities to serve the growing number of patients, the plan includes provision of solar power for all new and existing areas within the facility. We hope to move forward quickly with Phase 2 of the solar project as soon as the master plan is approved.

As always, we appreciate your support of our solar project. We hope that you will continue to help us increase the hospital's solar capabilities so that the healthcare needs in this community will be met.