AMEK/NUBEK demands more Oxygen plants in Hospitals

By Fred Maingi

The Association of medical Engineers of Kenya(AMEK) has applauded president Uhuru Kenyatta for the new stringent measures he has taken to ensure that the infections doesn’t go beyond the current level.

The Association has noted with concern the rising number of infections and mortalities in the current 3^rd wave and expressed fear with the current oxygen crisis in the entire country.

Engineer Millicent Alooh who is the secretary General urged the national and county government to employ more biomedical engineers to avert the workload.

She said there are over 2000 unemployed Biomedical Engineers yet there is a lot of workload adding that currently there are 10 oxygen plants in both public and private hospital that are currently not working.

“We strongly urge the government”, added Millicent, “ to ensure the Biomedical Engineers are supported for factory training of these new equipment,Continous medical Education should be mandatory to all practicing biomeds to keep abreast of the new technologies.AMEK is willing to work together with the government to ensure the biomedical engineers are trained and all our equipments are done for service as recommended by the manufacturers”

Addressing the media at a Nairobi Hotel,Peter Ayieko who is the secretary General of the National Union of Biomedical Engineers of Kenya(Nubek) said the oxygen generating companies are overwhelmed with demand and currently cannot meet the countries demand adding that Ambulances are camping at oxygen production sites to wait for even the last drop to save patients.

“Currently as we all know that our critical care units are overwhelmed with the influx of covid 19 patients across the country, it goes without say that these patients are fully on oxygen 24/7 .

With this the consumption of Oxygen has skyrocketed beyond imaginable level in all hospitals, both public and private sectors. Many oxygen plants that were installed in different hospitals have either broken down due to lack of service spare parts or cannot meet the hospitals current demands”Ayieko noted.

Ayieko went on to say Biomedical Engineers have resorted to pushing heavy Oxygen cylinders to various wards and isolation centers in order to save lives,a situation that puts not only their lives to danger of being hurt by cylinders but also the lives of both patients and relatives around.

He said his Union strongly advises both the national and county governments to channel all the efforts towards this rare and essential commodity.

He further stressed the need to have oxygen liquid tanks installed across the 47 counties and proper oxygen piping to be done to the wards, Intensive Care Unit, HDU, isolation centers and to the rest of the hospital