Kamuli hospital’s intensive care unit runs out of oxygen

As of Tuesday, 18 preterm babies were born, while the year has seen at least 1,457 babies admitted, including 473 of them being premature.

A premature birth means a baby is born too early. A typical pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, but for this case, the birth takes place before the 37th week of pregnancy.

Premature babies often have serious health problems, especially when they are born very early, although these problems often vary.

Ms Judith Nabiryo, the officer in- charge of the NICU at the hospital, said they have resorted to oxygen concentrators to sustain the premature babies, and they now need a cylinder (oxygen) system so that the oxygen is supplied from a main source to all the babies in the incubator.

“We badly need a piped oxygen system to positively clear airways pressure, help open airway to the lungs and regulate oxygen supply, and also more capacity building is needed to handle the surging numbers of preterm babies and match the facility,” Ms Nabiryo said on Tuesday.

Mr Moses Lyagoba, the Kamuli District health officer in-charge of child and maternal health, said the country is facing a shortage of oxygen supply because the plants at regional referral hospitals are not fully serviced.

He, however, said they have made efforts to source about 30 cylinders from Kayunga Hospital, which they are using sparingly as emergency supply.

Mr Lyagoba said the district recruited “special grade medical officers” to run the NICU after receiving it from Plan International two years ago and are ensuring the generator, solar system and few modifications are running.

“We moved and recruited a pediatrician, obstetrician and surgeon to beef up the NICU and ensure that no mother or new born dies,” he added.

According to Mr Lyagoba, the above recruitments created an influx, which has forced them to run the facility like a mini-referral for Kamuli, Buyende, Kaliro and neighbouring districts.

Ms Cissy Kaamu, the National Health programme manager at Plan International Uganda, said the NICU was provided as a sustainable model to ensure that no child or mother dies at birth.

She said: “We are glad that the facility is being used and appreciate the fact that its needs are now overwhelming, but we shall react after feedback information on gaps and needs because in offering the facility, we were doing system strengthening.”

The Ministry of Health Spokesperson , Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, commended the hospital for  not  “sitting back”.

“We are glad that the hospital is using oxygen concentrators to ensure steady supply when maybe there is none from the National Medical Stores (NMS),” he said.

“They need to tell the ministry the actual consumption, where exactly their needs gaps are in writing so that it is factored in during budgeting, but also engage the NMS,” he added.                            

Mr Micah Lopita, a gynaecologist, whose Master’s Degree thesis in 2020 at Aga Khan University in Kenya was on premature deliveries, attributed the rising preterm deliveries to malnutrition, harsh environment, gender-based violence, infections, and age, among others.

“These babies under incubation need a lot of care and commitment because they can’t suck properly, their body temperatures need to be monitored...and above all, infections need to be controlled,” he said.

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