Patients in various health facilities across the Country are set to benefit from a reliable supply of oxygen after Global fund earmarked Sh3billion toward oxygen piping.
Programme Director in Amref supporting disease control and infection Dr. Bernard Langat said Global Fund has pumped in Ksh 3 billion towards Oxygen eco system
Speaking at the Nandi County headquarters after meeting Nandi Governor Stephen Sang, Dr. Langat said the project involve oxygen in cylinders, liquid oxygen and infrastructure.
He said at the moment, they are going round introducing centers for construction adding that the major construction is piping.
“We are piping all 320 health facilities across the 45 Counties. We put the Pipes for oxygen outlets and money for them to distribute the oxygen that are in the cylinders,” he said
Dr. Langat noted that they are also doing 14 liquid oxygen tanks across the 14 counties.
“We are also doing oxygen plugs mainly targeting remote places like Kapedo, Lamu, Chemolingot in Baringo County among other regions. We know it’s a bit challenging transporting oxygen in those areas that’s why we need them to be able to generate oxygen and fill some of the cylinders in their facilities,” he said.
He said the biggest challenge in the Country is lack of cylinders adding that plans are underway to purchase 21,000 empty oxygen cylinders before March.
“At least each county will get a minimum of two cylinders but those counties with bigger population will get more,” he said
The Programme Director noted that the reason why Global fund decided to support that sector is because it was a key concern.
“We remember during the Covid-19 outbreak, the biggest headache and cry the Country had was lack of oxygen. The investment here is more of building a reservoir system,” he said
He said, “Any other time we have epidemic, even maternal emergency, oxygen should not be a reason why we are losing a mother .They should be sufficiently available.”
Dr. Langat said the investment is targeting both Government facilities and private health centers adding that they are not discriminating any facility because even private institutions also take care of emergencies.
He said Amref also provide oxygen kits, splits, regulators, flow meters saying though they are not enough but it’s one step to actualizing access to oxygen
Governor Sang said the move will boost quality and affordable health care services in the Country.
He stated that nine health facilities in the county will benefit from the Oxygen piping infrastructure. The facilities include Kabiyet, Maraba, Serem, Chepterwai, Mosoriot and Kapsabet County referral hospital.
“We are happy to be part of this project since it will improve access to medical oxygen and bring hope to our people,” he said
The governor noted that oxygen is an essential medicine used to care for patients across all level of healthcare system.
By Linet Wafula
