Africa-Press – Liberia. It was a moment of colorful celebrations on Saturday when the St. Joseph’s Catholic Hospital commissioned its giant-solar panel as an alternative source of reliable and clean energy. The project was part of activities marking the celebration of the hospital’s feast day on Saturday, March 19.
The Hospital’s Director, Brother Peter Dawoh paid homage to the Italian Episcopal Conference for providing a portion of the funds and the Foundation Juan Cuidad of Spain for the financial and technical support towards the project.
Brother Dawoh also thanked the General Curia of the Hospitaller Order of the Brothers of St. John of God in Rome for donating a second part of the needy funds.
He paid a special tribute to the Provincial Superior, Bartholomew A. Kamara of the St. Augustine Province of Africa, Brothers of the St. John of God, and His Council for recommending, approving, and pushing for the project to be funded.
Giving the background of the project, he said during the 59 years of service delivery, the huge cost of producing energy in running the electric power generators on a twenty-four hours basis was about US$25,000 per month or US$300,000 per year.
However, a robust generator management system instituted five years ago by the management of the hospital brought the cost down to US$18,000 per month or US$180,000 per year.
“The cost of running the generators has been very alarming and traumatizing for a hospital that is now run by indigenous people,” he said.
He noted that it was against this background and in line with ‘Goal Number 8’ of the hospital’s five years strategic plan, coupled with many years of planning and financial lobbying and consulting experts in solar works, benefactors, and adhering to Goal No. 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that the management was able to achieve the dream of constructing an alternative, reliable and cost-saving power source in the hospital.
The plant is made up of 405 panels, 60 batteries, 12 inverters, 4 PV inverters with 202.5 KWP maximum capacity, and three standby 110 KVA generators, and if well managed, it has a minimum of 10 years life span. It was installed by the Intec Energy Solutions Company.
The management, he added, regards the commissioning of the plant as a huge accomplishment and a blessing for the hospital, staff, and patients as this will enable management to cut down on the cost of running the generators.
He said: “As Psalm 127 says: “Unless the Lord builds the House, its builders labor in vain. All that we have accomplished in the life of the hospital for these 59 years of its existence would have been for nothing if the Lord has not been in it. We have built, we have watched but in all of these, it is the Lord who has made it possible. To him be the highest glory.”
Also speaking, the Archdiocesan Administrator, Monsignor Dr. Gabriel Blamo Jubwe, who had earlier celebrated the ‘Feast Day Mass’, pledged the Archdiocese’s continued support to the hospital. He challenged the hospital’s management to play their part and managed the facility properly for efficient output. The Provincial Superior, Brother Bartholomew Kamara pledged the St. Augustine Province of Africa’s commitment to supporting the hospital.
The St. Joseph’s Catholic Hospital has been operating in Liberia for 59 years. Recounting the hospital’s interventions, Brother Dawoh stated that the hospital has contributed effectively and rigorously to Liberia’s health-care delivery programs amidst numerous challenges including the 14-years devastating civil war, the Ebola outbreak and the COVID-19 crisis which affected the economic and health gains of this ‘beautiful’ nation.
Currently, he disclosed that the hospital has a 125-bed capacity, a well-equipped outreach clinic in the Borough of New Kru Town with a total workforce of 170 staff of which 57% are females and 43 % are males; making the hospital to be gender friendly as it adheres to Goal 5- Gender Equality of the SDGs.
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