Daily Monitor
Saturday December 12 2020
On Thursday, this newspaper reported that Mulago National Referral Hospital is facing a crisis over shortage of oxygen supply for patients in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Refer to ‘Covid-19 patients die as oxygen crisis hits hospitals.’
A relative of one of the patients who died recently said a top manager at Mulago discouraged the family from taking their patient to the hospital because the oxygen at the government facility was not enough and that all the beds were fully occupied.
This paper interviewed patients who needed to be on life support within the last one month which revealed that they have been tossed from one hospital to another on claims that the hospitals are full and cannot admit more patients, with a number of caretakers who have lost their relatives to Covid-19 complaining about the shortage of oxygen and space at Mulago and other hospitals despite denials from health administrators.
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Covid-19: Shortage of oxygen worsens
Thursday December 10 2020
Mulago Hospital commissioner of health services and infrastructure George Otim guides journalists during an inspection of the oxygen plant at Mulago Hospital on December 1. PHOTO/ DAVID LUBOWA
Summary
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A source at Mulago National Referral Hospital has revealed that the facility is facing a crisis of oxygen supply for patients in Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
The Covid-19 pandemic has escalated the oxygen shortage in the country with numbers of infections rising and patients admitted to ICU overwhelming the health facilities.
The government and health officials have blamed this surge largely on public laxity in observing the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to stop the spread of Covid-19.