Webuye Sub-County Hospital is among health facilities set to benefit from oxygen piping in a new deal between the county government and partners.

The partnership between Amref Health Africa, the Ministry of Health and the funding from Global Fund will see health facilities benefit from Sh56 million oxygen infrastructure.

The deal will see the county receive 696 new oxygen cylinders, six oxygen splitters and six oxygen pulse oximeters.

Acting Chief Officer Soet Sichei reiterated the importance of the medical oxygen infrastructure, citing that the county has had numerous cases of patients in need of medical oxygen.

“The initiative will help to strengthen the quality of health services offered to the people,” Sichei said.

According to Amref, the medical oxygen infrastructure will go a long way in strengthening systems for primary healthcare at the county level, ensuring that the health gaps identified during Covid-19 are addressed.

Another county set to benefit from the project is Kakamega. The county will receive medical oxygen and piping worth Sh76 million.

It will include 748 oxygen cylinders, 25 oxygen splitters and six oxygen pulse oximeters.

The World Health Organisation acknowledges that oxygen is an essential medicine used to care for patients at all levels of the healthcare system, including in surgery, trauma, heart failure, asthma, pneumonia and maternal and child care.

The demand for oxygen has further been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic which has seen more patients admitted to health facilities with WHO estimating that the need has increased to 1.1 million cylinders in low to middle-income countries alone.