Mulago gets new oxygen concentrator machine

By V Agaba, Z Naigaga and V Nabatanzi      

More children in need of oxygen are likely to stand a better chance to live after Mwana Mugimu, (Nutrition unit) at Mulago hospital got an oxygen concentrator machine worth sh5m.

An oxygen concentrator machine is a devise which provides oxygen therapy to a patient at minimally to substantially higher concentrations available in ambient air.

The machine was donated by NSSF will be used at the Nutritional Unit to provide oxygen to children in critical health state.

“Every day, the unit receives about 3 to 4 children who are in critical condition and need oxygen. We have been having only two machines and yet the numbers of children that need oxygen in the unit is overwhelming,” said Dr. Esther Babirekere, a pediatrician and head of Nutrition unit.

 “Fortunately with the new machine we have received, we shall be able to save more lives,” she added.

 “We decided to give out the oxygen machine in order to save lives. Save lives of children, means saving the lives of future leaders,” NSSF’s Stevens Mwanje said.

NSSF also donated other items to cancer institute which included infusion pump which supplies medicine into a patient through a tube and ten infusions sets both worth sh3.5m.

“Cancer is an illness that knows no age, gender and is surely eating away most Ugandans and it incurs the most expensive treatment costs in the country. It is better to sensitize and encourage people to go for early checkups other than waiting for treatment which is expensive and some Ugandans may not afford,” advised Fred Okuku of Uganda Cancer institute.

Babirekere asked parents to always feed their children well so that they do not encounter the challenges that come with malnutrition.

“The money a parent spends on treatment on a malnourished child is much compared to the money one would use buying proper food to feed a child. Mothers should feed their children well so that the kids do not suffer the consequences of poor feeding,” advised Babireke.