UNICEF to support Oyo on improving access to medical oxygen

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has promised to support the Oyo State government in addressing the availability of medical oxygen in the state.

UNICEF Country Health Specialist, Dr Khalilu Muhammad, speaking at the Oyo State stakeholder engagement meeting on oxygen security in Oyo State, said efforts are ongoing at the national level to develop a medical oxygen system for the country.

According to him, COVID-19 and the attendant challenges had further exposed the need for medical oxygen.

He said: “To do that, we need the right kind of human resources, training and also the equipment to be able to diagnose and administer medical oxygen at the right grade, and those equipment need to be maintained to ensure that they are sustainable.

“There are policies and roadmaps developed at the national level to ensure that there is medical oxygen security in Nigeria. The roadmaps and policies have not been stepped down at the state level for a number of reasons, including inadequate resources.

“COVID-19 has provided the impetus for us to further ensure that there Is increased momentum to ensure that we attain that.

“So, UNICEF, because of our passion to ensure that women and children are given the best health services available, will continue to partner with interested parties to ensure that our children survive and thrive.

“We narrowed down on Kano and Oyo states because of the limited resources and the willingness showed by these state governments to support the government to domesticate the national policies and to begin to implement them.”

Also, Health Specialist, UNICEF, Akure Field Office, Dr Ijeoma Agbor, said oxygen can make a great difference between life and death in a number of medical conditions and policy framework is the first step towards ensuring equitable access to all Nigerians.

She said to improve clinical use of oxygen, training of healthcare workers on the use and maintenance of oxygen equipment is very important, and institutions and other professional organisations should be encouraged to include workshops on oxygen therapy in their continuous professional development.

She said UNICEF at the national level will continue advocacy for improved access to medical oxygen for all in collaboration with other partners and using existing platforms.

“COVID-19 pandemic showed a lot of gaps in our healthcare system and that it lacked the capacity to manage COVID-19 cases and other cases that needed medical oxygen.

“If Oyo State domesticates this strategy, it will provide a roadmap for them to improve oxygen, both in terms of use of the oxygen as well as managing the oxygen delivery system,” Agbor said.

In his remarks, Executive Secretary, Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Muideen Olatunji, said the state will tap into the system.

“We need to build our personnel, because there is a need to know how to handle oxygen so that it doesn’t become a problem when administering it.

“We cannot over-emphasise the importance of oxygen in our healthcare system, and we are looking for a way to strengthen it from the primary healthcare level to secondary and tertiary institutions,” he said.

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