A team of biomedical engineers from Joint Medical Stores has successfully completed the installation of medical-grade oxygen piping at the newly constructed Intensive Care and Medical Emergency Unit at Adjumani General Hospital.
The facility, valued at Shs1.8 billion, was established with funding from the World Bank under the Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project (DRDIP), implemented by the Office of the Prime Minister.
Adjumani District, home to over 250,000 refugees primarily from South Sudan, relies on this facility to address medical crises for both local and refugee populations.
Kenneth Rubango, Director of Biomedical Engineering at Joint Medical Stores, emphasized the reliability of the oxygen supply, noting that it can continue functioning even during power outages. "Joint Medical Stores will also provide preventive and corrective technical maintenance for the equipment," Rubango stated.
Dr. Dominic Drametu, the District Health Officer, highlighted the critical role of the unit’s ten beds in stabilizing patients with severe medical conditions or injuries from road accidents before transferring them to larger hospitals.
However, the unit currently operates at only 40% capacity due to a shortage of specialized healthcare workers. "Despite this, the ICU has proven essential in managing life-threatening cases over the past four months," Dr. Drametu remarked.
Health officials are urging further support to equip the hospital to fully serve both national and refugee communities.