“In this first phase of the CPFL nos Hospitais Program, we saw all kinds of things in clients beneficiated. As financial resources are lacking, infrastructure is usually deteriorated, patient care is impaired and the electrical network is one of the most impacted.
In Araçatuba, we started the project at Santa Casa de Misericórdia in early 2020. At that time, the pandemic had not yet reached Brazil with such force, but it was already a reason for concern.
We carried out three energy efficiency actions. We replaced lighting with LED lamps, which are more efficient, and installed a photovoltaic generation plant on the roof. The third action was the replacement of the medical oxygen production plant previously installed by the hospital.
This is not an initiative we usually do, but it is part of our job to understand the needs of each client and seek solutions that will generate more energy efficiency. The oxygen plant was very old and generated high consumption. So, we found an equipment supplier, made the technical visits and tests, settled the costs and carried out the installation. As of April 2020, the new plant was up and running.
In early 2021, when Covid-19 cases exploded, this oxygen plant was key in preventing Santa Casa from collapsing. We were seeing the desperate situation of hospitals in Manaus, when there was a shortage of oxygen. Meanwhile, the number of hospitalizations in the Araçatuba region grew more and more. Santa Casa, which serves the population of about 40 nearby municipalities, had to open new beds, increase the ICU, and all of that needed oxygen for the patients treatment.
At the worst period of the pandemic, the new plant generated 50% more oxygen than the planned capacity to meet demand. The equipment worked overloaded, but luckily it didn't break.
In November 2021, we held a symbolic event at Santa Casa to celebrate the conclusion of the project. Many doctors and nurses were present and it was visible how they were exhausted, but at the same time refreshed for being able to serve the population. We've heard many reports that without the new oxygen plant, the hospital would have collapsed.
Seeing that structure working, knowing that we had an active participation to improve the hospital that faced this crisis, is an immense satisfaction. I feel that I made a difference for those professionals, for that community. And that my work, like that of the entire team of energy efficiency at CPFL, is leaving a legacy for the hospitals that need it most.”