MMH staff pride themselves in offering high quality services. However, this is a very big challenge in case of powercuts, which are very common in Mulanje. Since 2012, the hospital has worked on providing solar and backup electricity power to all departments. Initially small, this has now been developed into a sophisticated system that combines solar power, electricity from the grid and battery storage.

The solar system in its’ current form was completed in 2024. In case of a powercut, the hospital can run for approximately eight hours on battery power. During good weather, which occurs most of the time, solar provides for about 80% of all energy needs during a twenty-four hour cycle.

Additional benefits of the new system, apart from the obvious benefit to patients, include a much reduced electricity bill and improved longevity of electrical equipment. You can find more information in a report published here. The graph below shows the current flow of electricity at MMH.