KENYA – The MOH-Kenya has officially commissioned a 20,000-liter liquid oxygen tank donated by the Ministry of Health through the World Bank, in support o the hospital’s front-line role in combating COVID 19.

Dr. Anne Nganga, Project Manager for the COVID 19 Emergency Response Project, represented the Ministry and stated that the Government of Kenya will continue to support all institutions involved in the COVID 19 fight.

Ms. Gladys Ogallo, KUTRRH Board representative, expressed gratitude to the MOH. She thanked the Ministry for their attention to the Hospital and assistance in different areas of importance.

A large number of COVID patients have been admitted to the hospital. The tank will be refilled by MoH for one year.

“It is very gratifying to hear that not only were you focused on prevention but strengthening of the health system.  Because the Ministry is supporting us so well, we have an obligation to ensure that the services and facilities are being used well and for the public as we prepare for bigger things,” Noted Ms. Ogallo.

The oxygen plant at KUTRRH currently produces 2400 liters per hour. The new tank will play a critical role in bridging the gap in oxygen requirements caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

The oxygen tank will supplement KUTRRH’s oxygen plant, which serves COVID patients as well as other critically ill patients. With this installation, the health outcomes of critically ill patients at KUTRRH can only improve in the future.

Health facilities across the country continue to grapple with shortage of oxygen due to the surge of the third wave of Covid-19.

Insufficient oxygen supplies have been affecting health systems in the country and cylinders have not been feasible due to the large number of cylinders required.

Therefore, the World Bank proposed installing bulk tanks at level 5 and 6 national and referral hospitals to deliver oxygen in bulk liquid form to patients. This means that the smaller cylinders can now be used in smaller hospitals that require more oxygen.

KUTRRH is already assisting other facilities, which aligns with the MOH and World Bank plans. With the addition of the bulk oxygen tank, KUTRRH will be able to meet its internal needs and assist more hospitals.

Prior this commissioning, the MoH had given 15 ventilators to KUTRRH, further bolstering KUTRRH’s involvement in the COVID 19 fight.

Dr. Victor Njom, the acting CEO of KUTRRH, thanked all of the partners involved in the oxygen plant as well as the Ministry for their assistance.

“As a facility, KUTRRH has been one of the biggest facilities dealing with COVID-19 cases from the beginning and we have ended up being a model Hospital in the way that we dealt with the virus while continuing other Hospital functions.” He noted.

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