• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Anambra oxygen plant hits daily production target for medical cylinders

Medical Oxygen Cylinders

Two years after establishment, Anambra Oxygen Production Plant has achieved its daily production target of 200 cylinders per day.

Onyekachukwu Ibezim, managing director, Anambra Oxygen Production Plant said this on Tuesday in Awka.

Ibezim said that the establishment of the plant 24 months ago was vital in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are producing real-time and supplying to government hospitals freely based on the mandate of Governor Willie Obiano.

“The Teaching Hospital at Amaku is a major beneficiary as we have a major COVID-19 isolation Centre there.”

The Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Nnewi is also getting a free supply of oxygen and surplus goes to private hospitals.

Additionally, the average medical oxygen consumption per critical COVID-19 patient ranged between six to 10 cylinders per day for some patients.

“This puts so much pressure on our production cumulatively. Don’t forget that oxygen is still used in many other conditions in our health care system,’’ he said.

Ibezim mentioned that the agency has planned to increase production beyond the target figure of 200 cylinders per day to meet up with the population growth and to address other health issues like Lassa fever.

He stressed the need to replicate such oxygen plants in other senatorial districts of the state to reduce the burden on the plant currently in operation.

The replication of other health facilities would ensure comprehensive coverage, he said.

“We also have a proposal to pipe oxygen from the production plant to designated beds and the emergency centre at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital.

“This means that we won’t move cylinders around anymore. A hospital can also get big cylinders, place them at designated places, and pipe oxygen to beds.

“That way, we will not have the challenge of loading and offloading cylinders and also avoid possible damages and explosions that may occur with weak cylinders. These are doable and we hope to get there,’’ Ibezim said.