Bomet County government through its main oxygen plant at Longisa Referral Hospital will be donating their surplus oxygen to needy neighbouring consumers.
The area Governor Hillary Barchok stated that the county produces more oxygen than the County needs, at a plant that was set up in 2015 but whose compressor were later upgraded.
A spot check by KNA established that it’s during the 2019/2020 financial year, the current County administration procured a new advanced compressors that increased the rate of oxygen production at the facility to the level of having a surplus.
According to the Governor, Siloam Hospital in Kericho County and St Clare Kaplong Hospital, both private health facilities, are the largest consumers of oxygen from the devolved unit.
“The plant produces an average of 8,000 litres of oxygen per hour whose supplies far surpasses the demand in our public health facilities,” said Dr Barchok.
“All the 34 Covid-19 isolation beds at Longisa County Referral Hospital are connected directly with oxygen through a piping system,” added the Governor.
The county boss also confirmed that they are in talks with other developed units to extend oxygen supply to all of their public health facilities as the country battle the third wave of corona virus.
Governor Barchok’s administration set up an isolation centre at Koiwa, Konoini Sub County with a bed capacity of 224 beds, in which 60 of them are connected with oxygen cylinders, which are filled at Longisa County Referral Hospital
“We have extended services to humanity by supplying the oxygen in cylinders to health facilities in neighbouring counties,” affirmed Dr Barchok.
Reports are also indicating that Narok and Kericho Counties are said to have made inquiries on the supply capacity.
The situation elsewhere in the nation is deplorable as both private and public hospitals in the country are facing an acute shortage of oxygen amid rising demand.
By Lamech Arisa
