By Lucy Anyim
The Hon. Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma has inaugurated oxygen gas plant donated to Ebonyi State Government by Global Fund through the Federal Ministry of Health and National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA)
Inaugurating the oxygen gas plant at Mater Misericordiae hospital, Afikpo LGA, the Commissioner represented by the Director Medical Services, Dr. Gabriel Ajah thanked Global Fund for the donation and disclosed that the State now has three oxygen gas plants situated in the three senatorial zones
He explained that the one sited in Onueke would serve Ebonyi Central senatorial zone and the gas plant installed at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (AEFUTHA) serving Ebonyi North zone was donated earlier by UNICEF adding that this one in Mater Mesericordiae hospital is expected to be the source of oxygen to all the hospitals in Ebonyi South senatorial zone.
While he lauded the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) for the kind gesture, he said that the plant would improve health outcomes by ensuring that patients access timely and quality healthcare especially during emergencies and promised to make judicious use of the plant.
The health boss applauded the Ebonyi State Governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru and his wife Her Excellency, Mrs. Mary-Maudline Uzoamaka Nwifuru for prioritizing healthcare which he said has created enabling environment for the oxygen gas plants to be provided.
According to him, “I want to thank our Governor. He has created conducive environment. He has done the background work for all these things to come”.
He charged the Hospital Administrator, Mater Misericordiae hospital to make sure that the gas plant produces enough oxygen for treatment of patients and encouraged them as well as the host Community to protect it in order to serve them better.
On her part, the representative of the Federal Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs. Grace Izuwa while handing over the documents to the Commissioner who in turn handed it over to Hospital Administrator, advised them to ensure effective use of the oxygen gas plant.
She told the 5 persons trained to man the Oxygen gas plant to adhere to the standard operating procedure and to contact the Bio Medical engineer whenever there is complication.
Responding, the Hospital Administrator, Mater Mesericordiae hospital, Rev. Father Simon Isueseni was full of praises for alleviating their suffering of going to other States and recently Abakaliki to access oxygen for their patients.
The Reverend father who went down memory lane, indicated that they have crashed maternal mortality pointing out that the oxygen gas plant has not only solved the problem of transporting oxygen from distant locations but reduced cost of accessing oxygen in the hospital.
He maintained that oxygen is life and assured that the gas plant placed in their care is safe and would be properly maintained to enable it last long describing it as a ‘dream come true’.
“It is dear to the State but it is dearest to us. We guarantee as a Catholic Institution, we are going to do all we can to maintain the plant and make sure the objective of the donors is achieved. I have already told the accountant from 1st of November cost of the oxygen is going to be slashed in this hospital so that the patients who come here will enjoy the benefit.”
Lending his voice, the Bio Medical Engineer, Engr. Onuora Osita said that Engineers from NOVAIR and JNCI who are the manufacturer of the oxygen gas plant and the installation company respectively helped to train the technicians and urged the machine operators to follow precautionary measures to avoid fire outbreak or damaging any part as the parts are quite expensive
Highlights were inspection of different parts of the oxygen gas plant with power generator including cylinder rooms by the Commissioner and filling of gas cylinders free of charge for Ishiagu General Hospital, Ivo LGA; Owutu General Hospital, Edda LGA and Itim-Ukwu general hospital, Afikpo North LGA as well as blessing of the gas plant by the Assistant Hospital Administrator, Rev. father Simon Nwoba.
The representative of NACA, Mrs. Hussaini Asabe was in attendance.
