…as 800,000 die of pneumonia yearly
The newly inaugurated Pressure Swing Absorption Oxygen plant at the General Hospital, Nchia, Eleme is choking under the high demand for medical oxygen, an indication that many more people within the catchment area of the plant need oxygen.
This was disclosed on Tuesday by the Chief Medical Director of the Rivers State Health Management Board, Dr. Bright Ogbondah, when the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria and the Economic Community for West Africa, Mr. James Christoss, visited the plant.
The plant was built with funding from the Canadian Government and IHS Towers through the facilitation of the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and was inaugurated on August 6th, 2024 by the Governor of River State, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara.
But less than one month after the inauguration of the plant, Ogbondah said demand for oxygen had grown beyond the production capacity of the plant. He therefore appealed to the Canadian Government to expand the capacity at Nchia or look for a way of setting up another plant.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Mekele Igwe, said the oxygen plant, a testament of the positive partnership between the state government and international partners, has the capacity of producing oxygen that will support the needs of 100 children and 60 adults on a round-the-clock basis simultaneously.
She said the plant has played a critical role in saving lives of people with pneumonia and other ailments that need urgent oxygen infusion.
The Canadian High Commissioner said the urgent need to set up oxygen plants arose during COVID-19 when shortage of oxygen led to loss of lives. He said the Canadian Government has invested $23 million dollars in setting up nine of such plants in Nigeria.
He promised to consider the appeal made by the Rivers State government for the expansion of the capacity of the plant.
In a goodwill message, the representative of the World Health Organization, Mrs. Deborah, said pneumonia kills more than 800,000 people every year. This she said would have been avoided if oxygen was available during their attacks.
The Field officer of UNICEF in Port Harcourt,Mr. Anselm Audu, said the oxygen plant is a dream come true because during COVID-19, they looked for oxygen but could not get enough of it.
The guests took a facility tour of the plant after the formal reception.
