Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) has expanded the Sierra Leone Healthcare Electrification Project to provide 0.308 Megawatt peak (MWp) of solar power to an additional government hospital in Kailahun and 25 Community Health Centres (CHCs) across the country.

Currently, 18 of these CHCs have no existing power source, while the others rely on unreliable grid access or self-generate using diesel.

This will change with the installation of solar PV and battery systems, providing doctors and nurses with a reliable power source for treating patients.

These systems will also significantly reduce reliance on diesel generators, lowering government healthcare expenditures on fuel and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

This groundbreaking project, scheduled for completion by October 2024, is a collaboration between the Ministry of Health, the UK Government, and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP).

The Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, emphasized the importance of these collaborative efforts, stating: “The link between energy and health sectors is instrumental in improving service delivery and health outcomes. We made a commitment at COP28 to go green for health, meaning that as we expand and improve health facilities, we will prioritize renewable energy sources. We are pleased with the partnership with SEforALL and the UK Government as they help electrify our health facilities.

The project was launched following needs assessments conducted in October 2022. By late December 2023, solar panels with battery systems had been installed at six major medical facilities, including Ola During Children’s Hospital, Princess Christian Maternity Hospital in Freetown, Masanga Hospital in Tonkolili, and government hospitals in Kambia, Kabala, and Bonthe.

Solar power has been transformative for these facilities. Mariatu Kamara, a Maternity Nurse at Kambia Government Hospital, reflected: “We used phone lights to perform deliveries in the maternity ward. Solar has made my work easier, freeing me from the ordeal of holding a phone in my mouth while delivering babies. The patients are also happier.

The initial six hospitals received over 0.6 MWp of installed solar PV capacity with battery storage, enabling them to provide critical medical care 24/7.

The current phase of the project will extend to several districts, including Bo, Bonthe, Kailahun, Kono, Tonkolili, and the Western Area, powering key centers such as Bo School Clinic, Gerihun CHC, Moriba Town CHC, Taiama Trauma Centre, Jenner Wright in Freetown, and 20 other facilities.

The transition to solar energy has been transformative for Sierra Leone, with much more to come. SEforALL’s Sierra Leone Country Manager, Ngozi Beckley-Lines, expressed pride in the project’s impact: “Rural and underserved communities can now rely on clean, renewable solar power, ensuring improved around-the-clock medical care. The energy transition work continues, and we will leave no one behind.

SEforALL plans to install a total of 4.3 MWp of solar power across Sierra Leone. The third and final phase of the Sierra Leone Healthcare Electrification Project will bring solar PV and battery systems to 11 more hospitals, including Lakka, Port Loko, Makeni, and Kenema Government Hospitals.