Neo-natal wards and emergency rooms in a northern Syrian hospital on Tuesday (May 30th) activated new solar panels that will allow them uninterrupted electricity for the first time in years, AFP reported.

Hospitals in opposition-controlled Syrian territory face life-threatening power outages due to airstrikes or shortages of generator fuel.

The Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations (UOSSM) hopes their new solar project can circumvent both challenges.

The UOSSM has installed 480 solar panels at a large hospital in opposition-controlled territory in northern Syria since December, it said, and the project officially went online on Tuesday.

The medical charity declined to specify the hospital's location.

"Our goal was to install a solar energy system that can provide clean, reliable and low-cost energy to Syrian emergency hospitals," said Tarek Makdissi, who directs UOSSM's Syria Solar project.

"Patients in this hospital should never be hurt again because of a power cut," said Makdissi.

According to UOSSM, the panels will help their facility save more than 7,000 litres of expensive diesel each month, or 20 to 30% of its energy costs.

They will help power care for between 700 and 800 patients.

And in case the power cuts completely, wards like the neo-natal facility, intensive care units, and emergency rooms can still run independently, said Shadi Alshhadeh, head of UOSSM's Switzerland branch.

UOSSM will now seek about $1.5 million to fund solar panels at five more hospitals in opposition-held areas of northern Syria.