Solar Panels Project for Fotetsa Health Center/Projet d'installation des Panneaux Solaires au Centre de Sante de Fotetsa - July 2022
Fotsetsa Government Community Health Center is located in Foto Dschang and it is one among the 22 (twenty-two) Government community health centers under Dschang District Hospital. Fotsetsa Government Community Health Center was created in 2001 and it receives patients from the following nearby villages; Fotsetsa, Tsinkou, Makong, Fotchouli, Melah, Zimpoule, Nzindeng, Nzie, Toula, Melah, Bassue, Ndoung, Zemlah and Titsue.
The health center has as services, General Consultation and Admission, Maternity & Birth Delivery, Laboratory Analysis/Testing, Pharmacy and Vaccination Services. The health center receives averagely 75 patients per month with an admission rate of 20% ~ 15 patients per month (serious cases only because of space) and delivers averagely 6 babies per month. The center has 5 staff that is made up of 1 Head Nurse (center head), 1 Nurse, 1 Assistant Nurse, 1
Pharmacist and 1 Medical Analyst Technician (Agent Technico-Medico Sanitaire).
The center has numerous needs especially in lab testing equipment and materials,
pharmaceutical products, and general consumables. However, the most pressing need is that of Electricity. Due to numerous power outage that the center and the surrounding communities are facing, the center is always in dark at night and its always a challenge in the case of birth delivery, emergencies working without proper lighting. The power outage also affects the quality of vaccines in the freezer especially when the power outage last for more than 24 hours.
It is in this regard that the center personnel, joined by the village chief are seeking and soliciting assistance in solar energy from California Menoua Association located in California USA. The solar system will help in providing power for general lighting and to the equipment which will permit services in the center to continue normally. The solar system will also help in reducing the center monthly electricity bill especially in summer when there is much sunlight.
Two solar systems companies located in Dschang town were contacted (Ets. FCELL SOLAIRE and Gitech Industry). After a site visit to the health center, the following systems and equipment were identified that made up the center’s electricity consumption:
- 14 Light bulbs in total
- Medical Sterilizer (Poupinel) 250W
- Centrifuge (La Centrifuge) 40W
- Deep Freezer (chaine de foid) 150W
- Fridge 115W and a TV 70W
Two solutions proposed for the Fotsetsa Government Community Health Center:
1- A solar system kit of 1.5KVA converter DC/AC with 2455W/daily production was
proposed to be sufficient for the center General Lighting only of all the 14 light bulbs only. Total cost of material and installation = 480,000 frs (Four Hundred and Eighty Thousand Frac CFA).
2- A solar system kit of 2KVA converter DC/AC with 4800W/daily production was proposed to be sufficient for the center General Lighting of all the 14 light bulbs and All identified Equipment. Total Cost of Material and Installation = 900,000 frs (Nine Hundred Thousand Franc CFA)
An additional proposal for street lighting to the center was made including a solar projector panel and a steet lamp (lampadaire) for better lighting making a total of 73,000 frs (Seventy-Three Thousand Franc CFA).
California Menoua Association after reviewed of this proposal agreed to fully fund this project to the amount of 973,000 Franc CFA ~($1520.00) as it 2022 project investment in line with its vision and goals.
