Deputy Minister of Health 1, Dr. Charles Senesie, commissioned the newly installed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and batteries in 25 community health centres and clinics in Sierra Leone. He cut the ribbons on Jenner Wright Clinic’s new energy system, symbolically celebrating the life-saving electricity access in all 25 facilities as part of the second phase of the Sierra Leone Healthcare Electrification Project.
Phase 3 of the project was unveiled with plans to install solar power in 11 more hospitals in Sierra Leone.
This momentous occasion was followed by the unveiling of the third phase, which will electrify 11 other hospitals in the country.
Delivering his keynote address at Jenner Wright Clinic, Dr. Senesie said, “The transformation of these 25 health facilities using the power of the sun will forever change how healthcare is delivered. This initiative also reflects our commitment to go green nationally and electrify health facilities with clean energy, a crucial step towards building a sustainable healthcare system. We are grateful to the UK government for their generous support and to Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) for their instrumental role in implementing this project.”
Previously, 18 of the 25 last-mile facilities had no existing power source, and the remaining had unreliable access to the grid or were being run on polluting diesel generators. With the Sierra Leone Healthcare Electrification Project, healthcare workers now have uninterrupted access to electricity, enhancing primary care delivery and easing the pressure on hospitals, especially in underserved areas. The Medical Superintendent at Torwama Community Health Centre, one of the 25 health centres, said, “The solar installation is truly transformative. Mothers and babies can now receive critical care 24/7, supported by dependable, sustainable energy.”
The new solar systems are also significantly lowering reliance on diesel generators, reducing the government’s healthcare expenditure on generator fuel and preventing greenhouse gas emissions. The first phase of the project, under which six key hospitals were electrified, saw diesel generator usage reduced by 60 to 99%.
The commissioning event was followed by the unveiling of Phase 3 of the project at Connaught Hospital in Freetown. Under this next phase, an additional 11 hospitals, including Lakka, Port Loko, Makeni, and Kenema Government Hospitals, will be equipped with solar PV and battery systems.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mustapha Kabba, is very hopeful about the growing role of clean energy for improved healthcare in the country. In his remarks, he said, “From my own time as a leading doctor at Connaught Hospital, I know what it is like to treat patients without a reliable power supply. I now look forward to coming back here in a few months and switching off the generator as we transition to solar energy.”
The Sierra Leone Healthcare Electrification Project is being implemented by SEforALL in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, with funding from the UK government and on-ground support from EM-ONE Energy Solutions, Tetra Tech and CEMMATS Group Ltd. The project was initiated in October 2022, following comprehensive needs assessments, revealing that 38% of health facilities in the country lacked reliable access to power.
Upon completion of all three phases, 43 health facilities in Sierra Leone will have an additional combined installed capacity of 4.3 MWp of solar power.
Summarising the project’s impact, SEforALL’s Sierra Leone Country Manager, Ngozi Beckley-Lines, said, “This project is transforming lives, not only for patients—but also for nurses, doctors, and all healthcare workers, by creating a safer and more reliable environment for quality care round-the-clock.”
Follow this groundbreaking journey on social media using the hashtags #PoweringHealthcare and #PoweringLivesSL.
