Governor of Oyo State Seyi Makinde has unveiled the first solarised Medical Oxygen Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Plant with a Level 2 Newborn Unit at the Jericho Specialist Hospital in Ibadan, the state capital.
The plant was supported by UNICEF, IHS Towers, the governments of Norway and Canada, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Unveiling the plant, the governor, who applauded UNICEF, IHS, and the Federal Ministry of Health, said the state used COVID-19 as a fulcrum to develop the facility, adding that “Although no one is praying for another outbreak of COVID-19, it is always better to prepare, and there is no better way to be prepared than to have a facility like this.”
While handing over the project to the state government, UNICEF representative Ms. Cristian Munduate lauded the state government for recording a triple milestone towards improving maternal and newborn healthcare in Nigeria.
These include the handover of the solarised medical oxygen plant, the Level 2 Newborn Unit, and the launch of the Oyo State Strategy for the Scale-Up of Medical Oxygen in Health Facilities, Munduate said.
She restated that the three historic events represent a remarkable step forward in their shared commitment to improving maternal and child health in Oyo State and across Nigeria.
According to her, installing the solarised medical oxygen plant is groundbreaking as oxygen is a critical life-saving intervention, particularly for newborns and children suffering from pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses.
On the launch of Oyo State Strategy for the Scale-Up of Medical Oxygen in Health Facilities, she said the strategy is a comprehensive roadmap designed to ensure that every health facility in the state is equipped with the necessary resources to provide medical oxygen, adding that “It outlines the steps for capacity building, infrastructure development, supply chain management, and sustainable financing mechanisms. ‘’
In her welcome address, the Oyo state commissioner for Health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi said the unveiling of the solarized Medical Oxygen Pressure Swing Adsorption Plant in Nigeria, with level 2 Newborn Unit and the Oyo State Strategy for the scale-up of Medical Oxygen in Health Facilities (2024-2028) stand as a testament to the power of collaboration, to dedication, and the impact of collective efforts in addressing critical gaps in healthcare infrastructure.
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