Garissa launches oxygen plant, save county Sh600,000 monthly

A Sh27 million oxygen processing plant has been launched at the Garissa County Teaching and Referral Hospital.

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama described the development a big milestone in the provision of quality healthcare.

"As a county, we will save as much as Sh600,000 each month in addition to the fact that it will serve more patients," he said.

The 283-litre per minute pressure swing adsorption oxygen plant was installed by the Reaching Impact Saturation and Epidemic Control (RISE) project, funded by USAID.

The plant can process enough oxygen for patients in the facility and remain some to be shared with nearby hospitals. The plant can fill 10 cylinders in 24 hours.

Jama said working with USAID and non-profits like Jhpiego is a strategy of the counties to attract support to augment the county’s investment in building fragile health systems, especially in the Northeastern.

“We hire more health workers, build hospitals but we need support to equip them to a state that can serve the community,” Governor Nathif said. 

“This new plant supports my election promise to Garissa residents of delivering quality healthcare services at their doorstep, cut on travels to seek for critical medical services from Nairobi and Mombasa.”

Rosemary Njogu of Jhiego said this is a step towards strengthening the country's healthcare system to enable Kenyans to lead prosperous fulfilling lives.

She said the plant will go a long way in addressing most of the illnesses at the primary level.

Njogu said oxygen is a critical element that will enable doctors to deal with diseases such as pneumonia, malaria and other non-communicable ailments.

“By donating these PSA generators, USAID is fulfilling its commitment to support the strengthening of Kenya's healthcare system, support the expansion of its primary healthcare goals, and continue to improve health outcomes for Kenyans so they can lead prosperous fulfilling lives,” Njogu said.

Garissa health executive Ahmednadhir Omar said the county spent at least Sh245,000 per month to buy oxygen from as far as Nairobi, an amount that does not include the transportation, to meet the patient’s needs at Garissa County Referral Hospital alone.

He said the oxygen equipment had been installed, tested and has been running.

“A former provincial hospital, Garissa Level 5 Hospital has a catchment area of four million people and attends to patients referred from 126 health facilities in the county and the neighbouring Tana River, Kitui, Isiolo and Wajir counties. The hospital also receives patients from Somalia,” Omar said.

The plant is the most affordable way to generate oxygen compared to storing the oxygen in cylinders that need refilling, which is 10 times more expensive, the health executive said.

Present during the event was Deputy Governor Abdi Dagane, county secretary Mohamud Mursal, county executives Hawa Abdi (gender), Hassan Abdirizack (livestock), Abass Ismail (finance), Nassir Mohamed (roads), Ahmed Mohamed (water), Khadija Ahmed (county attorney), Garissa County Referral Hospital CEO Dr.Hawa Boi.