The outgoing Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Ebute Metta, Adedamola Dada, has raised concerns over the hospital’s soaring energy costs, revealing that it spends an estimated N20 million monthly on electricity despite receiving only three hours of public power supply per day.
Speaking during a media parley to reflect on the hospital’s achievements and challenges under his leadership, Dr. Dada disclosed that the facility has had to rely heavily on diesel generators to maintain round-the-clock operations, consuming up to 80,000 litres of diesel monthly to power essential medical services.
He noted that, over the past seven years, FMC Ebute Metta has self-generated up to 95 percent of its electricity to ensure the continuous delivery of healthcare — a move he described as financially draining but necessary for patient safety and service continuity.
“We are the only federal public hospital that receives two to three hours of public power supply, but we provide 24-hour power because we are automated and can’t function without electricity.
“When we wanted to switch our service to automation, many people questioned whether it would be attainable due to the epileptic power supply in the country.
“We didn’t allow that to limit us; we factored in a power delivery mechanism and generated 22 hours of power supply on our own over the last seven years.
“Though this development has eaten deep into the hospital’s finances, it is very essential for our services,”;; he said.
He noted that the hospital’s commitment to quality healthcare has led to a steady increase in patient patronage and has earned it multiple accolades over the years.
According to Dr. Dada, the Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) named FMC Ebute Metta the most compliant and standard health facility in Lagos State in 2022.
The Bureau of Public Service Reforms under the Presidency also recognised the hospital as one of the leading institutions in the deployment of ICT within Nigeria’s public health sector.
