The authorities at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in Tiruchi have decided to scale up the use of solar power.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO
The Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) in the city plans to set up additional solar power plants of 200 kW capacity on its premises to save on power bills.
To be installed at a cost of ₹2 crore, the new plants are expected to be commissioned by May 2026. They would be installed atop the Super Speciality, Obstetrics/Gynaecology, Reproductive and Child Healthcare buildings and atop the old block of the hospital. Other buildings where there is ample sunlight and space would be utilised to set up solar panels, said an official.
The hospital spends about ₹32 lakh every month on electricity. The hospital hopes to achieve substantial savings in power bills.
The money that is saved from the electricity bills would be diverted to procure medicines, providing patients healthcare services for help during an emergency, and other upgrades for the hospital, said the authorities.
“We constantly seek to provide better services to the patients who come to the MGMGH. The funds that are saved from the electricity bills would go towards that effort,” said S. Kumaravel, Dean – Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital.
At present, solar power plants generating 33 kW at a cost of ₹9 lakh are functioning at the men’s and women’s KAPV Medical College hostel buildings. These save up to ₹2 lakh every month in electricity bills for the college hostel, said officials.
Published – March 18, 2025 05:49 pm IST