Hospitals to start producing oxygen

By Michael Wesonga

Anyang’ Nyong’o officially commissions a mortuary extension at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, [PHOTO: PETER OCHIENG/STANDARD]

Medical Services Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o says plans are under way to start producing oxygen in hospitals.

The minister said the process of procuring a suitable company to produce oxygen in hospitals had kicked off.

Prof Nyong’o said this would shield hospitals from heavy costs of buying the product from BOC Gases Kenya Limited.

“We have realised we have been fools by buying oxygen yet we can affordably tap the free natural resource from the atmosphere,” he said.

The initiative would begin at Kenyatta National Hospital and the Moi Teaching and Referral hospital before extending to the rest.

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The minister spoke when he presided over the celebration of ISO certification and launch of the Integrated Hospital Management Information System at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.

Nyong’o toured developments projects at the hospital before he held a board meeting.

During the meeting, the hospital staff’s grievances, which include extraneous allowances owed to them by the ministry, were discussed.

“The hospital has been rapidly expanding its services and that is why there is need for specialised staff like cardiologists who are in our long term prospects for the hospital,” said the minister.

Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union (KMPDU) Moi Referral Branch called off a strike last week over Government’s laxity to implement a Collective Bargaining Agreement.

They were demanding extraneous allowances, which have been delayed for eight months, yet the same has been affected to their colleagues at KNH.

Concerns raised

The doctors want to be promoted to their deserved job groups and also their salaries harmonised like other public servants.

KMPDU and Kenya National Union of Nurses issued a strike on August 8.

The minister said some of the concerns raised by the medics were the price the country was paying for the minimal investment in the health sector. “The medical sector should build efficiency gains like reliable ICT while reducing the number of workmanship for cost efficiency in service delivery,” Nyong’o said.

The minister said he was committed to ensuring all counties have referral health facilities as enshrined in the Constitution.