Medical oxygen investment pays off

THE government efforts to boost supply of medical oxygen in the country has started paying off as Dodoma-based Benjamin Mkapa Hospital (BMH) is currently supplying the essential medicine to other health facilities in some regions.

The government had invested 1.5bn/- at the facility for construction of an oxygen plant which started generating oxygen in July last year.

The hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Alphonce Chandika told reporters on Tuesday besides meeting its oxygen demand, the hospital has managed to supply the essential medicine to their health facilities and earned 927m/- profit in a period of one year of its operation.

Dr Chandika was briefing journalists on Tuesday on the hospitals implementation of the development projects and prospects for the 2023/24 financial year.

“After deducting operation costs that caters for electricity, water bills, salaries among others, the plant has generated a 927m/- as profit in a period of one year since it started operations in July last year,” he said.

The 1.5bn/- was dished out by the government for the purchase and installation of oxygen generators, 560 medical oxygen gas cylinders and three-tonne van for supplying the oxygen, he said.

“We are optimist that the plant will earn the facility more income and enable it to operate by its own source of income,” said Dr Chandika

He said the hospital supply oxygen to health facilities, which include Morogoro, Manyara, Iringa, Tabora, Iringa and Singida regions.

Dr Chandika noted that within one year, the plant has supplied 37,111- medical oxygen cylinders with capacity of 50 litres and 430 with capacity of between five and ten litres all worth 1.85bn/-.

“We commend President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan’s decision to disburse money to invest in the oxygen plant as the country is assured of the medical oxygen supply thus cutting down the cost the government would have incurred for importing the gas,” he noted.

Moreover, he said, the hospital is among the beneficiaries of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Covid-19 emergency financial assistance under the Rapid Credit Facility and Rapid Financing Instrument.

The hospital, he said, received 2.64bn/- under the facility, which was spent in improving emergency services, ICU by increasing the room from six to 22 rooms by the end of the 2022/23.

In the 2022/23 financial year, the hospital also purchased digitalx-ray machines, two ambulances; strengthen telemedicines services and medical experts training, courtesy of the IMF funding.

The hospital which attending between 800 and 1,200 patients daily, he said, has come up with an electronic system which is a solution to avoid long queue for people seeking medical services.

Moreover, he said, the hospital eyes for more specialised and super specialised services for patients around the central regions and neighbouring countries as they want to be a medical tourism hub.