BO GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL
Sierra Leone, 2018
Sextant Foundation brought its expertise in solar installation, and commitment to the people and healthcare communities we serve, to Sierra Leone.
SUMMARY
The neonatal unit at Bo Government Affiliated Teaching Hospital needed reliable power to support the critical oxygen concentrators. The key to our solution was battery capacity – we needed to ensure they would have enough storage available for sustained power, especially during the rainy season. We designed and installed a 4 KW solar system with enough storage capacity to continue providing power for four days. This solar array replaces the need for expensive diesel, which is harmful to the environment, and provides a reliable source of energy. Our volunteers worked closely with the hospital’s facility staff to ensure their confidence in maintaining this robust system over time.
The neonatal care unit of Bo Government Affiliated Teaching Hospital in Sierra Leone lacked a reliable source of power. They only had electricity when the local grid was working, and when it wasn’t, newborns requiring oxygen needed to be transferred out of the unit, and some didn’t survive the outages. When we heard of this issue, we were heartbroken, and quickly made plans to partner with the Ministry of Health, Project HOPE, and UNICEF to provide a solution.
KAIT'S EXPERIENCE:
“I left the hospital with so many smiles and thank-yous from the staff, and I am just so happy that we were able to do this project. I can’t think of anyone more deserving than those little babies.”