If you would like to support Project Bo, we would welcome your contribution.

 

The neonatal unit at Bo Government Hospital now has reliable power 98% of the time. However, the system still suffers from around two power cuts per month. We can see from the remote monitoring that we need to add more batteries as they get perilously low during nights without grid power, particularly during the rainy season, when there may not be enough sun to charge them fully during the day.

 

We need to see if we can split the system and create redundancy and resilience. We need to improve physical security. Even an attempt at stealing some equipment could bring the system down for an extended period.

 

Since filming the episode we have heard that a UNICEF system that appeared in front of the unit has now been connected as a power supply of last resort. However, it requires manual intervention to switch to it in the event of a power cut, and it only provides a few extra hours of electricity.

 

We also need to plan for increased demand. Dr Conroy believes the number of admissions might stabilise at around 200 per month, compared to around 140 today. So we need to increase the size of the system by adding more solar panels too. And we need to improve the facilities for nurses, breast feeding mothers and babies. The unit is incredibly cramped today, and it does not have running water.

 

We've put a link in the show notes to a fundraising page. There is almost no limit to the amount Dr Conroy and the hospital could use, but we are looking to create a fund of £80,000 (around $100,000) to cover the cost of existing and expanded operations through to 2030.

 

No amount is too small, and we thank you in advance for your contribution. The current system is already saving hundreds of lives per year, and we simply could not have got here without the support of many, many people.