Joint Medical Store to build own plant to meet demand for oxygen
The Joint Medical Store, a private not for profit NGO engaged in the importation, exportation and wholesale of medicines and related health supplies has finalized plans to set up an oxygen plant to cut costs on importing oxygen.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction on Friday, the Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Dr.Diana Atwine said in 2017, the World Health Organisation categorized medical oxygen as an essential medicine whereas the Covid pandemic has also underscored the importance of medical oxygen.
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She noted that such investments in oxygen plants are a step in the right direction.
The medical oxygen need is undeniable so this is indeed in the right direction, in line with national priorities. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, there were concerns on the quality of some of the oxygen that was in circulation. I am glad to learn that the Oxylife Oxygen Plant, whose construction we are all here to inaugurate, assures the best quality oxygen fit for human consumption,” Dr.Atwine said in a speech read for her by the Assistant Commissioner in charge of Inspection, Standards and Compliance in Ministry of Health Dr. Aggrey Batesaaki.
Dr.Atwine also applauded the Joint Medical Store for the worthwhile investment but also hailed them for the relationship with government in the supply of health commodities both in the public and private sector.
“This Oxylife investment is in line with the 2018-2022 national scale up of medical oxygen implementation plan which encourages public private partnerships to meet the increased medical oxygen demand expected to surpass the current generation capacity from 2022 onwards.”
“In a bid to scale up oxygen production, Ministry of Health is in the process of upgrading the oxygen production capacity and oxygen therapy apparatus in the public sector at the Regional Referral Hospitals and a back-up plant at National Medical Store.”
The JMS Executive Director, Dr.Bildard Baguma said they realized the need for construction of their own oxygen plant after several first world countries restricted export of health supplies from their manufacturing plants to the rest of the world at the height of the Covid pandemic.
“JMS picked a lesson to focus on local health commodity production. In response, JMS expedited its plan to invest in medical oxygen production. We partnered with Hewatele, a company with experience in assembly and management of medical oxygen plants, to get the job done,” Dr.Baguma said.
He explained that construction of their own oxygen plant is one of the many interventions from lessons learnt from the Covid pandemic that he said Joint Medical Store is undertaking.
According to Dr.Sam Orach, the board chairman for Oxylife 2020 Uganda Limited which will be running the plant said once complete, it shall house a Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Oxygen plant.
“The plant shall produce 816,000 litres of medical oxygen daily which is equivalent to 120, 6.8 cubic-meter oxygen cylinders. These will be distributed by Joint Medical Store using the last mile delivery system to private not for profit, private and public health facilities all over Uganda,”Orach said.
“The plant shall also provide employment opportunities thereby not only assuring healthy lives but also wellbeing of Ugandans.”
