The National Taskforce of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has warned that if Ridge Hospital does not settle a GH¢42 million power consumption debt that has accumulated over a year, it may be disconnected from the national grid in three days.
During a visit, ECG officials—who are leading a national revenue mobilisation exercise to recover unpaid bills from customers, including State-owned Enterprises (SOEs)—served the hospital with a demand notice outlining this caution.
It said “You are required to make full payment of the above amount from the date of this notice, preferably between the hours of 8.00 a. m and 4:00 pm at any ECG office.
“Failure on your part to honour this request after three-working days of delivery will result in disconnection of electricity supply to your premises without further notice and legal action would be initiated against you.”
Nevertheless, the hospital’s administration convened a meeting with the power distributor to explain that the responsibility for settling bills of this nature rested with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health, rather than the hospital itself.
The ECG previously announced that it would cut off electricity to 91 hospitals across the country because of outstanding debts totaling GH¢261 million.
Several prestigious hospitals are at risk of being disconnected, including Ho Teaching Hospital in the Volta region, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the 37 Military Hospital, Ridge Hospital in the Greater Accra region, Komfo Anokye and Manhyia Government Hospitals in the Ashanti region, and Kibi Government Hospital in the Eastern region.