Grid-Independent Pure Water and Power for Rural Medical Centres and Hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
By Bureau Diocésain des OEuvres Médicales
Many hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo function without sources of potable water and without electricity. Ongoing conflict exacerbates the situation, limiting supply chains and infrastructure maintenance, especially in medical facilities in rural, off-grid, areas of the country. Conflict-affected populations do not have access to adequate medical facilities, with proper lighting, clean water, stockpiled medicine, and reliable communication.
Bureau Diocésain des OEuvres Médicales has developed an integrated water purification and electrical power micro-facility for rural hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The system will include a solar chimney-driven water distiller and an embedded electricity generator, for renewable off-grid potable water and electricity resources at community medical centres. The innovation combines water and power into one platform that only consumes water, has no filters, functions independently of the weather, and is technically simple, enabling local maintenance and repair.The availability of clean water and electricity will allow for better health outcomes for patients, lower incidence of infection while at the medical facility, and will enable healthcare providers to be more successful in surgeries, examinations, clerical operations, and will allow for stockpiled medicines and vaccines that can be used and managed as needed.
