The Ministry of Health has dispatched more than 10,000 oxygen equipment units under the Global Fund C19RM oxygen infrastructure project to boost access to medical oxygen in health facilities nationwide.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, who presided over the flag-off on Tuesday, October 4, said the consignment includes 470 multiparameter patient monitors, 10,000 wall outlet flowmeters, and 612 oxygen analysers.
Duale noted that the new equipment will complement the 20,620 oxygen cylinders previously distributed across the country and will be instrumental in improving care for newborns and patients with respiratory conditions.
Health Ministry Launches Oxygen Expansion Project Under Global Fund Initiative. Photo: Courtesy.
The CS also disclosed that the ministry has already begun training healthcare workers to ensure they have the necessary skills to operate and maintain the new equipment.
He added that, under the Global Fund-supported oxygen project implemented in partnership with AMREF, the ministry has installed more than 14 bulk oxygen tanks and supplied 1.2 million kilograms of liquid oxygen to facilities nationwide.
According to the CS, the installation of the equipment has enabled the establishment of ICUs in previously underserved regions such as West Pokot and Turkana, reducing the need for patients with critical conditions to travel long distances for specialized care.
