From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI, March 25: A healthcare centre at Jaidoh in West Khasi Hills has announced its transition to becoming a near net-zero electricity health facility.
The Gnanamma Healthcare Centre has achieved the milestone through the recent installation of a 6.05kW solar power plant with battery energy storage, which now meets up to 100 percent of the electricity needs of the facility.
WRI India, an independent charity legally registered as the India Resources Trust, has provided technical support to the green facility to install a solar power plant, battery storage and energy-efficient appliances, including indoor lights, ceiling fans, flood lights, water purifier, water heater and an autoclave.
“This transformation ensures that Gnanamma Healthcare Centre operates almost entirely on renewable energy, setting a precedent for sustainable healthcare in the region,” a statement from WRI India, issued on Tuesday, said.
The green facility was launched in the presence of West Khasi Hills district medical and health officer, Mehriba K. Sohliya, and representatives from the hospital administration and WRI India.
Located in a remote area, the Gnanamma Healthcare Centre is one of the few health centres in the area that offers immunisation services.
“The installation of the solar power system is a critical step towards ensuring an uninterrupted power supply for essential services such as emergency care, powering medical equipment, night-time services and vaccine storage,” Sohliya said.
“Through this initiative, the ice-lined refrigerators (ILRs) provided by the District Health Office under the National Health Mission’s cold chain point can now operate round the clock, ensuring consistent temperatures essential for the storage of vaccines,” the health officer said.
Notably, prior to the installations, the health centre relied only on grid electricity supply without any power backup.
“Before these installations, we primarily relied on grid electricity supply without a backup generator, leading to service disruptions during power outages,” said Sahaya Lilly, administrator, Gnanamma Healthcare Centre.
“The facility is now likely to meet 100 percent of its electricity needs through the solar power plant. Additionally, the new energy-efficient appliances and medical equipment will help us maintain lower electricity consumption compared to conventional models,” Lilly said.
“Through energy-efficient equipment and renewable energy supply, the health centre will not only benefit from reliable electricity to provide high-quality care but will become a resilient health facility while cutting down on carbon emissions, creating a positive environmental outcome for the local community,” said Rishikesh Mishra, programme manager, energy, WRI India.
“We hope that Gnanamma Healthcare Centre will serve as a model for other health facilities in Meghalaya and other parts of India,” Mishra said.