Czech donors sent over CZK 900,000 for the construction of a solar power plant for a children’s hospital in Zaporozhye, as part of the Sun for Ukraine project. The Czech company Sunlux also joined the project, providing 43 kW solar panels for the construction of the power plant, which will help the only children’s hospital in the region overcome power outages caused by Russian military action.
Ukrainian hospitals have been threatened by power outages since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Currently, more than 70% of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is damaged or occupied, and the bombing continues. Hospitals frequently experience blackouts in operating rooms and equipment in intensive care units going out of service.
One solution to the challenging situation faced by medical facilities is solar power plants – reliable sources of energy directly on the roofs of hospitals. One of them is now installed on the roof of a children’s hospital in the city of Zaporozhye, just a few dozen kilometers from the front line.
“Unfortunately, we have been living in a war for three years, and the staff had to adapt their work in the hospital to shelters,” said Regina Harchenko, the mayor of Zaporozhye. “As for the supply of electricity, the hospital has powerful generators at its disposal, which supply it during power outages. However, we are all well aware that this is a temporary solution. Such a large building needs powerful generators, and their operation requires a large amount of fuel. The installation of a solar power plant will be beneficial for the provision of constant care in the intensive care unit and the hemodialysis unit.”
A large part of the funding for the construction of the power plant was provided by the Czech public. “As part of the Sun for Ukraine project, the Czech public has already supported the construction of several solar power plants, and interest in donations continues,” said Alžběta Kofránková from Nesehnuti, coordinator of the Sun for Ukraine campaign. “In addition to small donors, companies operating in the field of photovoltaics are also involved. One way they can support Ukrainian hospitals is by donating older but still functional solar panels.”
The hospital in Zaporozhye treats more than 100,000 patients a year. The local surgery performs around 2,000 operations in the same period, about half of which are urgent cases. There are currently more than 150,000 people fleeing the war in the city, which puts additional pressure on the hospital, which is the only one in the region capable of providing highly specialized procedures, such as dialysis for children and adults. In addition, the hospital takes care of more than two hundred newborns every year, including those born prematurely.
The Czech company Sunlux, which produces solar panels, also decided to support the construction of the power plant. “We joined the collection because we were very affected by the catastrophe of the Russian aggression against Ukraine,” said Klára Vaverová from Sunlux. “The opportunity to help the local population through Nesehnuti’s collection for a photovoltaic power plant, the field in which we do business, seemed ideal to us. We are very happy that the panels we donated are already in Zaporozhye and can make the work of local health workers easier.”
