Dignitaries with the policy
The Ministry of Health has launched a new policy in a bid to scale-up the production, availability, access and use of the medical oxygen in the country.
The ‘National Medical Oxygen Policy’ is aimed at establishing a framework and lays the foundation for a national strategy for increased oxygen production.
It will also establish a regulatory system for the production, procurement, installation, distribution and rational use of medical oxygen, strengthen the supply chain management systems and also establish a robust monitoring and evaluation regime for management.
Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, who launched the policy in Accra, said the implementation of the policy would ensure that hospitals constructed have adequate medical oxygen supply, distribution and delivery to patients, while existing facilities would be equipped with the needed equipment to achieve the objectives of the policy.
“I want to urge all health facilities, both public and private, to adopt the government digitalisation agenda to effectively maintain and manage data on oxygen resources in order to prevent shortages,” she added.
Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, said the country is currently faced with inadequate supply of oxygen to patients.
The sector minister said studies have shown that improved supply and utilisation of medical oxygen could reduce mortality from childhood pneumonia by 35%.
He said respiratory diseases accounted for 15.5 per cent of deaths across all ages in health facilities in 2020, and about 16.5 per cent of deaths in children under five years.
He indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic, exposed the challenges associated with supply of medical oxygen in the country hence, the need to strengthen the health system to make it more resilient and responsive by progressively developing capacity in the production of key inputs, including medical oxygen.
World Health Organisation (WHO) country representative, Dr. Francis Kasolo, said the unavailability of medical oxygen could not be solved by a single entity or organisation and, therefore, pledged the support of WHO to ensure the policy succeeded.
“It requires a collective effort from the government, healthcare providers, manufacturers and the international community.
We must act swiftly and decisively to bridge the gap between oxygen supply and demand,” he said.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri