Demand for oxygen cylinders increasing

BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

THERE is an increase demand for oxygen cylinder for persons requiring oxygen at the hospital.

Minister of Health and Medical Services Dr Culwick Togamana confirmed this in his covid-19 update on Monday.

“Demand for oxygen cylinder is increasing, for each person requiring the oxygen three large oxygen cylinders are needed per day,” Togamana said.

“Therefore, with the 30 severely ill patients admitted to the hospital a total of 90 large oxygen cylinders is needed per day,” he added.

The minister revealed that the hospital only have 60 of these cylinders, 20 have been transferred to the field Hospital for standby.

Togamana said over the weekend the National Medical Store delivered 15 more oxygen cylinders to the National Referral Hospital Orthopaedic ward that has now repurpose for covid-19 ward.

The National medical store also delivered 14 additional cylinders on Monday.

He said for provinces four oxygen cylinders have been deployed to Hellena Goldie Hospital and 10 will be delivered to Kilu’ufi hospital in Malaita.

The Ministry is working closely with donor partners and private sector firms for additional oxygen bottles including oxygen regulators, Togamana stated.

He said in the absence of sufficient oxygen cylinders, patients are being managed on oxygen concentrators which are effective as oxygen cylinders to provide oxygen to the patients

“Oxygen concentrators are affordable and much more mobile compare to normal oxygen cylinders,” Togamana said.

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