GE and Sapphire collaborate to operate an emergency medical facility

GE Renewable Energy and Sapphire Wind Power Co Limited (SWPCL) recently joined forces for a first-of-its-kind initiative, installing an emergency medical center within the premises of 52.8 MW Sapphire Wind Farm, Jhimpir, a village in Thatta district. Jhimpir falls in the Gharo-Keti Bandar Wind Corridor, which has a potential to generate up to 50,000MW of electricity, per the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB).

The Jhimpir corridor is in the south-eastern part of Pakistan between Hyderabad and Karachi, and approximately 95 km inland from the coast in a semi-desert area, which makes access to necessary medical care for inhabitants of the region a laborious effort. This collaboration aims to bring fundamental medical emergency services to the community in a timely manner. In addition, this commitment of $100,000 will create awareness around EHS, and serve the wider community, in terms of emergency and temporary care.

To achieve this significant milestone, GE worked closely with SWPCL to plan the process, identify risks beforehand, ensure the highest standards in quality control and maintain adequate resources for a smooth and speedy execution.

Speaking at the occasion, Tolga Ulus, East Europe & Turkey Service Director at GE Wind Energy  said, “At GE, we live up to our legacy of giving back to the society and investing on our people. We want to make a positive impact around the world as well. The societal concerns of this remote location were made an important part of our investment focus, as we believe, our biggest asset is our people.”

The Sapphire Wind Farm Project includes thirty-three GE 1.6MW-82.5MW wind turbines from GE Renewable Energy. This is the first wind farm in Pakistan to be awarded a Feed in Tariff (FIT) by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) and provides energy to not only the nearby Nooriabad Industrial Area but the remote villages as well.

Nadeem Abdullah, CEO of SWPCL, said, “People in rural and remote locations such as Jhimpir need to travel long distances to hospitals to receive medical support which can be stressful. The whole purpose of this effort is to create a primary / urgent care facility within reach.. The medical facility is the first structure of its kind, providing a high level of medical services in this remote location. The clinic has been designed and implemented by Aga Khan Medical University Hospital, GE and Sapphire, and is equipped with high quality medical diagnostics and treatment equipment, a pharmacy and a CE certified ambulance, and can treat up to 60 patients per day."

Sarim Sheikh, President & CEO for GE Pakistan and Central Asia, added, “GE has a strong presence in Pakistan and has been a committed partner in Pakistan’s growth story for more than 50 years, with the inaugural of this medical facility, we want to make a positive contribution to improving people’s lives in an area which is outlying. Our focus is to avoid and assuage any impact to ourselves, teams, and the communities we work in.”