The ManicaPost
Post Reporters
AS cases of Covid-19 shoot up with patients in urgent need of medical oxygen getting admitted at the various isolation centres across the province, an acute shortage of the gas has been reported at some health institutions, with some resorting to the use of concentrators that generate the gas when plugged to a power source.
As of Wednesday, Manicaland had recorded 8 755 Covid-19 cumulative cases and 272 deaths.
The province had 3 998 active cases, the third highest after Harare’s 4 269 and Mashonaland West’s 4 237 cases.
Manicaland’s referral health institution, Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital, is in urgent need of 100 flow meters to ensure the availability of oxygen to patients who require it.
The hospital has a capacity to admit 30 Covid-19 patients in its isolation unit and is in need of 20 flow meters for the unit and 80 other meters for the rest of the hospital’s wards.
Chipinge and Rusape Hospitals are grappling with gas storage facilities, among other challenges.
However, Manicaland Provincial Epidemiology Disease Control Officer, Dr Munyaradzi Mukuzunga, said the oxygen challenges are not universal, highlighting they depend on the institutions’ needs.
“We have not had any reports of oxygen shortages at provincial level so far. If indeed there are particular institutions that have this shortage, then it is for the particular institution to comment.
“For example, we would not know whether there is oxygen shortage at Victoria Chitepo Hospital unless a report has been made to the Provincial Medical Director’s office. The same applies to respective districts where we have DMOs who can confirm that if indeed there is shortage in their respective districts.”
Victoria Chitepo Hospital Medical Superintendent, Dr Dorcas Masanga-Mutede, recently said while the oxygen supply at the hospital is now adequate, they are facing a major challenge in supplying the oxygen directly to the patients due to a lack of flow meters.
“A 10 000-litre oxygen tank was recently installed at the hospital and therefore the oxygen supply is now very adequate at the hospital. However, we need flow meters to deliver oxygen from the tank to the patient. The flow meters cost around $70 per unit.
“Currently we are using the equipment that we already have, but it will be much easier if we have the flow machines installed as a matter of urgency,” she said.
Rusape General Hospital which caters for one of the biggest districts in Zimbabwe – Makoni – where 800 cases of Covid-19 and 40 deaths have been reported so far, is overwhelmed by the high admission numbers.
The hospital’s isolation centre is now relying on oxygen concentrators to argument oxygen supplies.
An oxygen concentrator takes in air, separates the oxygen and delivers it into a patient via a nasal cannula. It works by being plugging it to a source of electricity and delivers 95 percent pure oxygen to the patient.
Rusape General Hospital had four concentrators delivered in May, while three more were delivered from Mutare this week following the oxygen problems at the hospital.
Makoni District Medical Officer (DMO), Dr Tendai Nyafesa, said the isolation centre is overwhelmed by the admissions numbers that require oxygen.
He said there is need to install a 10 000-litre oxygen tank to supply the whole institution.
“Our isolation centre has a carrying capacity of 20 beds, but the numbers are so high that at times we fail to admit other patients because it involves high supply and consumption of oxygen.
“The centre has an automated oxygen system with outlets which supply oxygen to each patient. The system is small and can use any size of gas tank. We have proposed a much bigger storage tank, but we cannot do it from here as it is expensive. We do not have that capacity.
“We now have seven oxygen concentrators at the hospital, three of which were received this week. Their only challenge is you serve one person at a time, which means we can only serve seven patients at once. Patients are no longer buying their own oxygen supplies as we are working flat out to address this issue,” said Dr Nyafesa.
Chipinge DMO, Dr Brian Makumbe, called for more oxygen supplies to the district.
“Due to inconsistencies in supplies of oxygen and unavailability of large oxygen cylinders, the district is now relying on oxygen concentrators. These concentrators are working well. We routinely use 4kg containers, but that can only last eight hours.
“So far we have four of these containers and this means they will be utilised by four patients at a given time. We were promised a 1 000-litre oxygen tank and we expect its delivery in the immediate future,” he said.
