A new state-of-the-art oxygen manufacturing plant installed at the Kerugoya County Referral Hospital is transforming critical care outcomes for patients in Kirinyaga County and saving taxpayers millions of shillings previously used to procure the commodity externally.
The on-site oxygen plant has not only helped in saving lives but also changed hospital operations by transitioning them from dependence on erratic external cylinder deliveries to self-sufficiency.
The initiative by Governor Anne Waiguru has ensured an uninterrupted 24-hour supply of medical-grade oxygen for critical care, emergency surgeries, and respiratory therapies, enhancing overall efficiency at the referral hospital as well as the other public health facilities in the county.
The county government is currently saving about Sh15 million annually, money that would previously have been spent on outsourced oxygen supplies.
The oxygen plant is part of the County Government’s broader strategy to strengthen health infrastructure and service delivery across Kirinyaga County, which has also seen the upgrading of Kianyaga, Kimbimbi and Sagana hospitals from level 3 to level 4 facilities further decentralizing services from the county referral hospital thus bringing them closer to the community.
“Today, the county’s main referral hospital is attending to an average of 600 outpatients and 400 inpatients, many of whom require oxygen support for surgery, emergency care, and neonatal services,” said Waiguru, noting that the mega oxygen plant now ensures an uninterrupted supply of lifesaving oxygen at the referral hospital and across all other public health facilities in the county.
Speaking during a routine inspection of the facility, County Director of Medical Services Dr. Esbon Gakuo said the plant has the capacity to generate up to 1,000 litres of pure medical-grade oxygen every 24 hours, at a purity level of 95 per cent, which meets international medical standards.
Dr. Gakuo explained that oxygen is piped directly from the plant to every bed in the hospital, including the operating theaters, the general wards, the casualty area, and the Newborn Unit among others, eliminating the earlier reliance on oxygen cylinders that were inconvenient and posed safety risks during transportation.
“With a reliable in-house source of oxygen, the county no longer needs to refer patients to other facilities due to shortages, as was the case when we depended on external suppliers,” said Dr. Gakuo.
Apart from ensuring timely access for patients requiring oxygen, the facility has significantly reduced operational costs. “Since we installed this medical oxygen manufacturing plant, the county government has been saving almost Sh15 million every financial year. This money has now been redirected to other priority areas to further improve health services within the county,” Dr Gakuo said.
In addition to oxygen, the facility also produces other medical gases and medical air used to operate critical equipment in theatres, including anesthesia and aspiration machines.
To enhance sustainability and continuity of supply, Gakuo said that the county is in the process of installing a 6,000-litre liquid oxygen storage tank at the hospital. Once completed, the tank will act as a backup during routine maintenance or power outages and will be able to meet the county’s oxygen needs for up to two weeks.
Biomedical Engineer Lizbeth Muchiri, who oversees the production and maintenance of the oxygen plant, emphasized its lifesaving impact. “Oxygen is a drug, and we are proud to offer these services to our patients. Over time, we have supplied about 40 million litres of oxygen, saving countless lives,” she said.
She explained that the plant comprises an air compressor, a dryer, and an oxygen generator, where all other components of air are removed to remain with pure oxygen suitable for medical use.
The county has also digitized health services, with Kerugoya County Referral Hospital going fully paperless for outpatient services while all other health facilities are equipped with Electronic Health Information Systems integrated with SHA, improving efficiency, accountability, and reimbursement tracking.
Dr. Gakuo urged residents to utilize the improved services at Kerugoya Level Five Hospital and other public health facilities across the county, noting that residents who are fully paid-up members of the Social Health Authority (SHA) do not need to pay out of pocket for inpatient services.
By Mutai Kipng’etich
