The Ministry of Public Health has handed over an oxygen concentrator to the Mabaruma Regional Hospital in Region 1, according to the Department of Public Information (DPI).
According to the acting Regional Health Officer (RHO) of the region, Dr. Vishal Ramjas, “what it does is it moves away from us carrying around these heavy cylinder tanks of oxygen and what it does is it uses the air or the oxygen in the environs and convert it into medical air, so this will decrease one’s expense.”
Usually, patients requiring medical oxygen do so from a heavy tank which weighs about 130 lbs (65kgs) and stands about 5 feet tall. This is essentially difficult to be transported in and around the medical facility and is regarded as a cumbersome medical apparatus. The oxygen concentrator can weigh as little as 10 lbs.
During a recent visit by Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, DPI said that the acting RHO indicated that the regional administration is projecting to include portable oxygen concentrator units in their 2020 budget.
