The Rivers State government has inaugurated a state-of-the-art Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Medical Oxygen Plant, at the Bori Zonal Hospital in Khana local government area of the State.
The facility, with the capacity to produce 60,000 litres of medical oxygen per day, that is 60m³ (Cubic Metres), is a Global Fund-supported intervention, through the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) to solve oxygen problem in the state.
Speaking during the inauguration in Bori, yesterday, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh, said the facility represents a significant milestone in the government’s collective effort to strengthen the healthcare system and improve clinical outcomes across the State.
Oreh, who underscored the importance of oxygen, stated that the lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the urgent need to build resilient oxygen ecosystems capable of responding to emergencies and routine clinical care.
“Medical oxygen is not just a commodity; it is an essential life-saving medicine. Its availability in health facilities is critical for managing pneumonia, childbirth complications, surgical procedures, trauma, and severe infectious diseases.
The lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic further underscored the urgent need to build resilient oxygen ecosystems capable of responding to emergencies and routine clinical care.
“This PSA Medical Oxygen Plant brings us closer to that goal. With its daily output of 60 Cubic Metres, this facility will support an uninterrupted oxygen supply to our hospitals, reduce patient referrals due to oxygen shortages, and lower mortality from conditions that require prompt oxygen therapy.
It will also ease the financial burden on families who previously had to source oxygen from distant or private suppliers,” she said.
The health commissioner assured the state government’s commitment to ensuring that the plant operates at full capacity and delivers maximum benefit to the people.
“We will continue to invest in training of biomedical engineers, technicians, and clinical staff who will manage, maintain, and optimally utilise this installation. Sustainability is paramount, and we are determined to uphold the standards required to keep this plant functional for years to come,” Oreh said.
She assured the partners that the donation will not only improve service delivery at the Zonal Hospital, but also serve as a cornerstone in the broader strategy to scale medical oxygen availability across all levels of care in Rivers State, saying, “It aligns perfect with national efforts to strengthen the oxygen ecosystem and with His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State’s mandate on Health for All Rivers People.”
Oreh also lauded the Global Fund, NACA, and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for their invaluable contribution and partnership in saving lives, strengthening systems, and empowering communities.
She therefore charged the staff and management of the hospital to take ownership of the facility.
“Let it be a beacon of excellence in service delivery, accountability, and patient-centred care. The success of this plant depends on your stewardship and dedication,” Oreh added.
In her remarks, representative of the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Nnenna Godwin, stated that the facility is one of the 63 plants donated by Global Fund through NACA, to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, distributed across the country, with Rivers State, benefiting two, the second one which is in Degema.
Godwin emphasised the need to protect the facility from vandalism, saying the aim is to improve patient outcome and make oxygen available to everyone that needs it.
“We want it to be well utilised and well taken care of. We don’t want to have a situation where it is vandalised by the time we leave, because we’ve had situations where some of the parts were vandalised. We wouldn’t want that to happen in Port Harcourt. From the federal ministry of health we implore all of us to take proper care of this huge investment that have come to us and await more because we believe more will still come to River State,” she stated.
Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of the Bori Zonal Hospital, Dr. Bright Ogbonda, mentioned that the facility will improve the oxygen demand and supply chain in the state and neighbouring states and as well, ameliorate cases of hypoxia in the hospitals.
“Not only in public hospitals, but also in private facilities across the state,” he said.
He, appreciated the efforts of the State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and the ministry of health, while assuring the judicious use and maintenance of the facility.
Blessing Ibunge
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