Kamuzu Central Hospital gets more oxygen cylinders
Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) yesterday received 11 oxygen cylinders to support in the treatment of Covid-19 patients, bringing the total oxygen cylinders donated to the referral hospital to 140.
KCH hospital administrator Dr Jonathan Ngoma said the new donation has been bought with funds raised by Malawian nurses living in the United Kingdom.
So far, the hospital has received 12 oxygen cylinders from Area 47 Sector 4B women; 30 from Chancellor College (Chanco) Class of 2001; 42 from Chanco Class of 1993; 45 from Chanco Class of 1992 and the 11 received yesterday.
Ngoma said the demand for oxygen has been high since Covid-19 patients started increasing.
He said: “The main form of treatment for Covid-19 patients is oxygen because patients fail to breathe on their own. Since we do not know how long Covid-19 will be around, and we do not know how many patients will come to the hospital very sick and in need of oxygen, we still need support from well-wishers.”
The hospital administrator said a cylinder that normally lasts 48 hours when used by patients with other conditions lasts eight hours only when used to assist Covid-19 patients.
The nurses, through their representative Otilia Kang’ombe, also a former nurse in the UK, said they made the donation to ease the oxygen demand at the hospital.
She said: “The UK nurses have responded to the SOS raised by the hospital for clinical oxygen. We encourage other well-wishers to support government efforts to help the needy.”
Yesterday, KCH had five Covid-19, patients on oxygen with 14 oxygen cylinders on standby.
Malawi has so far recorded 4 658 cases of Covid-19 including 146 deaths since April 2 2020 when the country recorded its first three cases.
According to the Public Health Institute of Malawi daily situation report of August 9, so far, 2 375 people have recovered from Covid-19.
