Reliable Power at Chikankata: When outages put lives at risk

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Sister Suwiranji’s Story: No More Panic in the Operating Room

For Sister Suwiranji Nareawala, every day begins with preparing for the unexpected.

As the Operating Theater Sister and nurse in charge of Chikankata Hospital's surgical department, she oversees everything from sterilizing instruments and preparing operating rooms to supporting planned surgeries and responding to emergencies that can arrive at any hour.

For years, one challenge was impossible to predict: power outages.

A sudden loss of electricity could happen at the worst possible moment, including in the middle of surgery.

“You may be in the midst of a procedure, then there is a power outage,” Suwiranji explained. “It poses a risk to the patient. The people operating start panicking because you can't see clearly.”

When the lights went out, surgeons and nurses were forced to focus not only on the patient in front of them, but also on how to continue a lifesaving procedure safely. In the operating room, where seconds matter and precision is critical, any interruption increased the risk.

Today, that fear has largely disappeared.

Thanks to the installation of solar power at Chikankata Hospital, the surgical department now has access to reliable electricity even when the main power grid fails.

Suwiranji has witnessed the difference firsthand.

While her team was recently performing two emergency Caesarean sections, the grid power unexpectedly went out. Years ago, that moment would have caused immediate concern. Instead, there was only a brief flicker before the solar system took over.

“We saw that power was gone,” she recalled. “Within the shortest period of time, power was restored.”

The surgeries continued without interruption.

Both mothers and both babies were delivered safely.

“All the two operations were successful,” Suwiranji said. “The mothers and the babies are doing fine.”

For her, that moment perfectly illustrates why reliable power matters.

Before solar, any outage during surgery increased the danger facing patients. Today, surgical teams can continue working without panic, knowing that critical equipment and lighting will remain available when they are needed most.

“The patients are safer than the way it used to be,” she said.

The impact extends beyond the operating theater. Reliable electricity keeps laboratories, ultrasound machines, and X-ray equipment functioning, helping patients receive diagnoses more quickly and reducing delays in treatment. It has also reduced the hospital's reliance on diesel generators, lowering fuel costs and allowing resources to be directed toward patient care instead.

But for Suwiranji, the greatest benefit is simple.

“There is no more panicking,” she said. “We continue with our daily activities. The patients are safe. We are able to do surgeries in time.”

In a rural hospital where emergencies cannot wait for the power to return, reliable electricity does far more than keep the lights on.

It gives healthcare workers the confidence to do their jobs, provides patients with safer care, and ensures that lifesaving surgery can continue, even when the grid goes dark.

“Electricity is very important in our work,” Suwiranji said. “Most of the machines we use need electricity. We would like to thank The Salvation Army for giving us the power we needed to carry out our work.”

For the people of Chikankata, that power is helping save lives every day.

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Nurse Stella’s Story: A Safe Walk Home

For more than ten years, Stella Namashoba has cared for some of Chikankata Hospital's most vulnerable patients.

As a registered critical care nurse, she is accustomed to responding to emergencies and helping people through difficult moments. But when her shift ended and it was time to walk home, she often faced a different challenge.

The darkness.

Stella lives within the Chikankata Mission, only a short walk from the hospital. Yet before solar-powered streetlights were installed, that journey could feel daunting after sunset.

“It used to be so dark,” Stella recalled. “We had the fear of dogs, the fear of snakes, and other dangerous things.”

The darkness affected more than hospital staff. Patients needing medical attention after dark often hesitated to come to the hospital, while families worried about traveling along poorly lit paths.

For Stella, the concern was personal as well as professional.

As a mother of three boys, she knows what it feels like to have a sick child in the middle of the night. Before the streetlights were installed, bringing a child to the hospital after dark was not a simple decision.

“We used to fear coming to the hospital,” she said. “Sometimes we would wait for morning if it was during the night.”

Those hours of waiting could be agonizing.

“As a mother, I used to panic a lot,” Stella said. “I would think that anything could happen to my child during the night.”

Today, that fear has largely disappeared.

Solar-powered lighting now illuminates key routes throughout the mission, allowing residents, patients, and staff to move safely after dark.

“Now, any time, I can go to the hospital,” Stella said.

The difference is especially important for healthcare workers like Stella, whose shifts do not always begin and end during daylight hours. Some evenings she finishes work around 7 p.m., long after the sun has set.

“Nowadays, we don't have that challenge,” she explained. “We can walk freely. It's so clear on the streets.”

The impact extends across the wider community.

Children can move around more safely. Patients seeking care at night no longer face the same uncertainty. Families can reach the hospital when they need help instead of delaying treatment until morning.

For Stella, one memory captures the change.

Years ago, before the lights were installed, she was accompanying her sister to the hospital at night when they encountered dogs along the dark path. Frightened and unable to see clearly, they turned around and went back.

Today, she says, the experience is completely different.

“The way is clear. You can see where you are going.”

What may seem like a simple improvement, a lit pathway instead of a dark one, has had a profound effect on daily life across the mission.

“It makes us feel better, and it makes us feel safe even moving at night,” Stella said.

For the nurses who respond to emergencies, the parents caring for sick children, and the patients seeking treatment after dark, reliable solar lighting has done more than brighten the streets.

It has brought confidence, security, and peace of mind.

And for Stella, that means knowing that whether she is heading to work, returning home, or rushing a sick child to the hospital, the path ahead is no longer hidden by darkness.