The Ministry of Health is working on measures to ensure health centres can continue providing services during power outages, after concerns that unreliable electricity is causing delays for patients.
The issue is particularly evident in Gakenke District, where eight of the 23 health centres do not have backup generators. When the main power supply fails, some services are forced to stop or slow down.
Residents say they sometimes arrive early for medical care but are left waiting when electricity goes off before they can be served.
One resident told RBA that patients may wait for hours for power to return and, in some cases, leave without receiving treatment.
Mukanoheli Penina, head of Bushoka Health Centre, said power interruptions are affecting both patients and the efficiency of healthcare delivery.
“The disruption affects service delivery because the systems in place are designed to speed up services so that patients can be served quickly and return to their daily activities,” she said. “When power goes off, delays immediately occur, and if the outage lasts for a long time, some patients may even leave without receiving treatment.”
State Minister for Health Dr Butera Ivan said the government is aware of the challenge and is assessing different options to ensure facilities in areas with unreliable electricity have alternative sources of power.
He stressed that the solution would not necessarily mean installing generators at every health centre.
“Some places have specific needs where alternative energy sources or other solutions could be considered,” Butera said. “It is not necessary to install generators everywhere, but we are assessing the situation so that facilities where electricity is unreliable can have appropriate alternatives.”
Reliable electricity is increasingly essential to healthcare delivery, particularly as facilities rely on digital systems such as e-Ubuzima to provide and manage services.
The ministry says addressing the problem will help health centres maintain essential services during outages and prevent patients from facing delays caused by power cuts.
Gakenke is among the districts affected, with eight of its 23 health centres currently without backup power systems.
