James Elima, the Gulu Regional Referral Hospital Administrator disclosed that they have opted to refill its medical oxygen cylinders for patients in critical conditions from the Catholic owned St Mary`s Hospital Lacor in Gulu City as they battle inconsistent supplies due to intermittent power supply and inadequacy.
Gulu Regional Referral Hospital has turned to St Mary`s
Hospital Lacor due to the shortages and intermittent supply of oxygen at the
facility.
James Elima, the Gulu Regional Referral Hospital
Administrator disclosed that they have opted to refill its medical oxygen
cylinders for patients in critical conditions from the Catholic owned St Mary`s Hospital Lacor in Gulu City as they battle inconsistent
supplies due to intermittent power supply and inadequacy.
Elima said on Saturday that there are currently eleven
patients at the COVID-19 Treatment Unit who require consistent and adequate
supply of oxygen yet sometimes the hospital fails to supply the needed oxygen
due to power inconsistency to run the oxygen production plant as well as faulty
condition of the oxygen production plant which is even on the verge of breaking
down.
He added that the hospital which is basically Northern
Uganda`s health backbone receives overwhelming numbers of patients requiring
oxygen adding that the demand has doubled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Left with no options, Elima says that they are currently
getting assistance from the privately owned St Mary`s Hospital Lacor whenever
they have shortages in supplies.
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Each patient in ICU currently is consuming between 60 to 80
litres of oxygen per minute, this is much higher than patients with other
illnesses who consume averagely only one to five litres per minute.
On Saturday the Members of Parliament for Kilak North
Anthony Akol in Amuru district and Martin Ojara Mapenduzi for Layibi-Bardege
division in Gulu City donated three oxygen concentrators to Gulu Regional
Referral Hospital to boost its oxygen supply.
Mapenduzi disclosed that the donation valued at forty-five
million shillings was with support from Harree and Indoor African Charitable
Society.
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During the donation, Mapenduzi urged all well-wishers and
members of the public to wholeheartedly support the fight against COVID-19 with
whatever they can afford citing that the situation in the country is getting
out of hand.
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Anthony Akol on the other hand asked members of the public
to follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and health ministry
guidelines in order to wipe out COVID-19 from the country.
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As of Friday, Gulu Regional Referral Hospital COVID-19
Treatment Unit had eleven patients in critical condition.
Uganda cumulatively has 68,779 and 584 confirmed COVID-19
cases and deaths respectively.
Emmy Daniel Ojara
Freelancer