About Solar Aid for Ukraine
The invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has led to widespread infrastructural damage across the country. Russian attacks often focus on critical infrastructure and key elements of Ukraine’s transmission network. The Ukrainian medical system is the most vulnerable because it needs uninterrupted power supply to treat civilians and the military, saving thousands of lives daily.
For this reason, the NGO Ecoclub and the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine started a campaign to install solar power plants for Ukrainian hospitals. This will provide hospitals with electricity even if the supply is disconnected from the grid. We focus on renewables because solar power plants are an effective environmental and long-term solution to the problem and the first step of the transition to renewable energy sources in Ukraine.
In December 2022, Ecoclub completed a solar power plant for the hospital in the city of Zviahel, Zhytomyr Oblast. This is a medical institution which, if necessary, can guarantee the provision of medical assistance to approximately 170,000 residents. The capacity of the solar power plant is 32.4 kW. In the first month, the plant generated 800 kWh of electrictiy. This is enough to continuously operate one machine for artificial ventilation of the lungs for a month. Now, a similar project is underway at the Cherkasy Third City Hospital.
About the Cherkasy Third City hospital
The Cherkasy Third City Hospital is a municipal health care institution for adult residents of Cherkasy and surrounding areas. It is also the only emergency hospital in the city. All departments of the hospital, except for physiotherapy, work around the clock, without days off or holiday. The hospital, which has 555 beds, includes many different departments for various specialisations, which provide both emergency and planned medical care.
The following units are the only such ones in the entire city of Cherkasy:
- Cardiology (infarction)
- Cerebrovascular pathology (for stroke patients)
- Rheumatology equipped with neurological beds
- Diagnostic and detoxification
- Anaesthesiology department specialized for patients with neuropathology
- Extracorporeal detoxification methods (e.g. haemodialysis)
- Interventional cardiology room
The hospital also has a Trauma Center, which provides emergency medical care to more than 14,000 injured people per year, of which 70% are urgent cases.
The hospital’s energy consumption
The types of equipment that represent the highest energy consumption are medical equipment, computer and office equipment, climate control, and lighting.
In 2021, the hospital’s total consumption was 1,124,750 kWh (up from 927,399 kWh in 2019).
