A power cut at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) has claimed the lives of three patients who were on life support, after Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) disconnected the facility over unpaid bills.
The incident happened on Friday when the blackout struck the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, leaving four patients on ventilators vulnerable. Only one survived.
However, according to Punch report, the hospital spokesperson, Hauwa Dutse, described the situation as tragic. She said the disruption had an immediate effect on those who could not breathe without machines.
KEDCO insisted the disconnection was due to an outstanding debt of N949.88 million as at August, along with an August bill of N108.95 million that it demanded must be paid within 10 working days.
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The deaths prompted urgent talks involving the hospital’s management, KEDCO officials and the Kano State Police Commissioner. Power was restored shortly after the meeting, with both sides pledging cooperation to avoid a repeat.
In a statement, AKTH said it “sincerely appreciates” the intervention of the police and KEDCO leadership in resolving the matter.
But KEDCO’s spokesman, Sani Bala, explained that the company had earlier tried to isolate the hospital’s power line from staff residential quarters to curb what it described as wastage.
According to him, resistance from within the premises led to the shutdown that triggered the tragic loss of lives.
