By Sorie Ibrahim Fofanah
Build Health International a non-profitable organization, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, has provided a five-day training programme for Sierra Leonean biomedical engineers and medical oxygen operators on oxygen plants operations and maintenance.
The training which took place at the Bintumani Hotel in Freetown on 10th of May this year brought biomedical engineers and oxygen professionals from major hospitals in all regions.
Speaking in an interview, the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Dennis H. Marke recalled how the Government of Sierra Leone had negotiated with partners for them to have oxygen generator plants, saying they had been depending on oxygen concentrators which he said are energy costly.
Marke added they currently have five oxygen plants at Koidu Government Hospital, Kenema Government Hospital, Bo Government Hospital, Makeni Government Hospital and Connaught Government Hospital. He assured seven additional oxygen plants would be available at the end of this year.
He explained the challenges associated with the five available plants in the five major hospitals, which he attributed to lack of repairs and maintenance.
The Medical Director of Oxygen, Education and Training at Build Health International, Adrew Johnson said their focus is to improve healthcare and health infrastructure through building hospitals, clinics and laboratories. Jonson explained how they have provided medical support to Sierra Leone through what he described as scaling up medical oxygen.
The training of biomedical engineers and oxygen operators he said is a way to improve oxygen in hospitals in Sierra Leone. “Biomedical engineers have been trained on how they should take care of the oxygen plants,” he added, saying they have also provided tools to four hospitals for the maintenance of those plants.
He said there will be more plants which he noted are sponsored by Global Fund and United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
One of the participants, Abuld Turay explained what knowledge he has gained from the training: “Before now, we didn’t know how to carry out daily preventive maintenance on the oxygen plants. But with this training, I now know that there are certain precautions to take into consideration, for instance oil and oxygen are not compatible and should not be placed side by side.” Turay emphasised that they have learned a lot.
He further said the training will improve service delivery in terms of providing oxygen in hospitals, and help in improving the life span of the plants through regular maintenance.
Doris Ndanema, a participant, expressed delight over what she had learnt during the five-day training. She said she had never known about oxygen plants prior to the training.
“I think with what I have learnt, I can implement them whenever I am on the field,” she added.
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