Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and IHS Towers have inspected the medical oxygen plant at the General Hospital, Eleme, Rivers State, amid calls for solar power installation and additional oxygen cylinders to boost production and ensure sustainability.
The inspection provided an opportunity for the partners to assess the facility’s operations, identify challenges and explore ways to strengthen its capacity to meet the growing demand for medical oxygen in Rivers State and neighbouring states.
During the inspection Wednesday, UNICEF Health Specialist at its Enugu Field Office, Dr. Ifeyinwa Anyanyo, noted that the oxygen plant was established through a partnership involving the Nigerian and Canadian governments, IHS Towers and UNICEF.
Anyanyo further noted that the initiative was part of efforts to address gaps in access to medical oxygen exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted the establishment of oxygen plants across different geopolitical zones of the country.
She acknowledged the efforts of the Rivers State Government in managing the facility but noted that there was room for improvement and expansion.
Speaking, the Chief Medical Director of the Rivers State Hospitals Management Board, Dr. Bright Ogbonda, said the plant, inaugurated in August 2023, had significantly improved access to medical oxygen for healthcare facilities in the state and beyond.
He disclosed that the facility was operating below capacity, largely because of inadequate power supply and a shortage of oxygen cylinders.
Ogbonda said: “The plant is not connected to the national grid and relied entirely on diesel-powered generators, making production expensive and limiting its output.”
He called on UNICEF, IHS Towers and other partners to support the installation of solar power and connection to the national grid, stressing that solarisation would significantly reduce operating costs, increase production and improve the plant’s financial sustainability.
According to him, the plant has a lifespan of about 15 years, making it necessary to build sufficient financial reserves to replace the equipment when required and support the establishment of additional facilities.
Ogbonda also identified inadequate oxygen cylinders as another major constraint, explaining that: “Some cylinders supplied to hospitals remained with customers who lacked their own containers, limiting the plant’s ability to serve other facilities.”
He said the management had procured about 50 additional 40-litre oxygen cylinders, which had helped ease the problem, but more were still required.
The medical director added that the plant supplied oxygen at one of the lowest prices in Rivers State, attracting customers from Bayelsa, Imo and other neighbouring areas.
He explained that the facility was established primarily to ensure access to affordable medical oxygen rather than maximise profits.
On security, Ogbonda said measures, including closed-circuit television cameras, reinforced doors and night security, had been introduced to protect the plant against vandalism.
He, however, called for additional security support to safeguard the wider hospital premises.
The plant’s senior operator, ThankGod Epelle, said the facility had an installed production capacity of 18 cubic metres per hour but currently produced about 20 cylinders of 40 litres daily because of power constraints.
Epelle said the high cost of diesel consumed a significant portion of the plant’s revenue, preventing it from meeting the growing demand from public and private hospitals.
He also appealed for solar power and additional cylinders to improve production and distribution.
The oxygen plant was established following a nationwide assessment of medical oxygen needs across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, and was handed over to the Rivers State Government as part of efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery.