Patients hold breath after oxygen plant breaks down
Dr Nathan Onyachi, the former Director Masaka Regional Referral Hospital, inspects the new oxygen plant in June 2022. PHOTO | MALIK FAHAD JJINGO
What you need to know:
- The hospital has two oxygen plants that provide oxygen to both the facility and other health centres in the region.
- Due to this breakdown, private health facilities in Masaka, which had been purchasing oxygen at subsidized rates from the referral hospital, are now forced to obtain oxygen from Kampala at nearly double the cost.
Health facilities and individuals in the Greater Masaka Sub-region are in panic after the breakdown of the main oxygen plant at Masaka Regional Referral Hospital.
The hospital has two oxygen plants that provide oxygen to both the facility and other health centres in the region.
Due to this breakdown, private health facilities in Masaka, which had been purchasing oxygen at subsidized rates from the referral hospital, are now forced to obtain oxygen from Kampala at nearly double the cost.
In an interview at the weekend, Mr Charles Tumushiime, the Masaka Regional Referral Hospital principal administrator, said one of the oxygen plants recently broke down causing a deficit in the supply of oxygen in the region.
“We have a challenge of break-downs of the plants and when they are both down at the same time, we have to hire a truck at a cost of at least Shs1m every week to transport bulky oxygen cylinders from Kampala, which is costly,” he said.
He, however, said they have informed the equipment supplier and requested a team to repair it, as the plant is still within the warranty period. The plant, which is estimated to have cost Shs600 million, includes a two-year service warranty from the providers in case of breakdowns.
The plant was constructed with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) in 2022 to boost the old oxygen plant and increase oxygen supplies in the region.
Mr Tumushiime said the old oxygen plant, which was established in 2017, produces 15 cubic metres of oxygen, which is not enough to meet the demand for oxygen in the sub-region.
The new plant boosted the oxygen supply by more than 45 cubic metres.
Records at the regional referral hospital indicate that at least 15 patients require oxygen a day in critical departments such as the theatres, emergency section, children’s ward, expectant mothers among other sections of the hospital.
Health activists led by Swaib Makumbi Sulambaya, the chairperson of Masaka Regional Referral Hospital Patients Association, have asked the authorities at the health facility to ensure that the oxygen plant is fixed as soon as possible.
“Our people have been having some relief ever since the oxygen plant was installed, so we demand that it swiftly repaired so that supply of oxygen can be restored and other facilities get oxygen supply at subsidised prices,” he said
