Solar-powered Oxygen System Saves Lives in Somalia
A newly installed solar-powered medical oxygen system at a hospital in central Somalia is proving effective in saving lives, Somali and World Health Organization doctors told Voice of America.
The innovative solar oxygen system, the first of its kind in the country, was installed at Hanaano hospital, in the central town of Dhusamareb a year ago. Doctors say the system is having an impact and helping save the lives of very young patients.
“This innovation is giving us promise and hopes,” says Dr Mamunur Rahman Malik, WHO Somalia Representative.
According to Dr Malik, 171 patients received oxygen at the hospital from the solar-powered system from February to October 2021. Of these, only three patients died, and five others were referred to other hospitals.
Every year some 15 000 to 20 000 deaths occur in Somalia among children under five years of age due to pneumonia, said Dr Malik, making it the deadliest disease among under-fives.
The director of Hanaano hospital, Dr Mohamed Abdi, said the innovation is making a difference.
“It has helped a lot, it has saved more than a hundred people who received the service,” he said to VOA Somali.
“It was a problem for the children under one year and the children who are born six months to get enough oxygen. Now we are not worried about oxygen availability if the electricity goes out because there are the oxygen concentrators.”
One patient was Abdiaziz Omar Abdi, admitted to the hospital on January 16 with severe pneumonia and was struggling to breathe normally. The oxygen rate in his body had dropped to 60%, Dr Abdi said. Doctors immediately put him on oxygen along with ampicillin and dexamethasone medications. When discharged three days later, he was breathing normally. His oxygen was up to 90%.
Dr Malik said the oxygen is being used to treat a wide range of medical conditions – asphyxia, pneumonia, injuries, trauma, and road traffic accidents.
“We have seen in other countries that use of solar-powered medical oxygen (if applied in a timely manner) can save up to 35% of deaths from childhood pneumonia,” he said, adding that it could save the lives of at least 7000 children who die “needlessly” due to pneumonia.
The initiative to install solar-powered bio-medical equipment at Hanaano hospital emerged during the height of COVID in 2020, at a time when people were dying due to respiratory problems. Hospitals were unable to keep up with case loads and the cost of a cylinder of oxygen rose to between $400 to $600, and only 20% of health facilities had any kind of access to oxygen, said Dr Malik.
“If you look at the current situation, as of today Somalia needs close to 3000 or 4000 cubic metres of oxygen per day. So, oxygen was the biggest need in all the hospitals.”
Solar power can also be used for medical refrigerators, and their use is becoming widespread in Africa.
Source: Voice of America
