The president of the Puerto Rico College of Health Services Administrators (CASS), Tania Conde Sterling, announced that the group will push several initiatives to soften the impact of higher electricity bills on health facilities in Puerto Rico. "We cannot allow an increase in the electricity bill to become an additional threat to the stability of our hospitals and other health institutions. Electricity is not a luxury for the health sector; it is an essential service to save lives," Conde Sterling said in written statements.
Electricity is not a luxury for the health sector; it is an essential service to save lives
As an example, she said an acute-care hospital with 175 beds could face an increase of roughly $60,000 a month, an amount equal to the cost of 15 nursing professionals. Conde Sterling met with the Energy Bureau and will keep pressing it to approve a special rate for the sector. She will also go to the Legislature to promote a bill that would set special rates for health facilities, create incentives to improve energy efficiency, and establish mechanisms to ease the transition to renewable energy sources.
In addition, she will ask the Department of Economic Development and Commerce for energy incentives similar to those given to other industries, such as the hotel industry.