Twelve Health centres in Nakuru County have received 695 oxygen-supplying equipment to realize Primary Healthcare Coverage (PHC) through boosting access to quality and affordable healthcare services.
The facilities will receive new oxygen cylinders, oxygen splitters, patient monitors, oxygen piping, and manifolds.
The donation is through a partnership between the national government, Amref Health Africa and the Global Fund.
Nakuru County Executive for Health Ms Jaqcline Osoro said every piece of equipment given shall be put to good use to improve service delivery so that every patient visiting the health facilities could get better and access medical oxygen on time.
She observed that an effective oxygen ecosystem involves the provision of a consistent and uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen to healthcare facilities through production, storage, and delivery to the bedside.
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Further, she noted that the donation was a timely example of what it means to build a resilient and sustainable health system.
Ms Osoro said the consignment will boost the reliable supply, storage, and distribution of medical oxygen, adding that the equipment promises a better future for people needing oxygen therapy, from children with pneumonia to adults with severe tuberculosis and other respiratory conditions like acute asthma attacks.
The investment by the national government, Amref Health Africa and the Global Fund include the provision of 22 Oxygen Production Plants, 14 oxygen bulk tanks for higher-level facilities, piping, and bedside installations for 320 health facilities, all aimed at last-mile access to medical oxygen, a lifesaving commodity.
The initiative is expected to benefit Kenyans who could not previously receive oxygen at their local primary care facilities due to a shortage of oxygen cylinders or lack of oxygen, as witnessed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
During the pandemic, the cylinders were either in short supply or required exorbitant leasing or hiring fees from oxygen manufacturers before refilling and supply.
The new initiative eliminates the barrier of cylinder deposits, which the facilities had to incur to access oxygen. The initiative will also maximise the use of oxygen through innovative ways of dispensing.
