Rivers Govt commissions oxygen plant

The Rivers State Government has inaugurated a Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Oxygen Plant at the General Hospital in Ogale Community, Eleme Local Government Area.

This initiative is a collaboration between the public and private sectors.

According to a statement from the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chikwudi, the Oxygen Plant was constructed and installed through a partnership involving UNICEF, the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Rivers State Government, the Canadian Government, and IHS Towers.
During the commissioning, Governor Siminalayi Fubara highlighted the state’s progress in reconstructing, equipping, and staffing health facilities more effectively than ever before under his administration.

He emphasized that healthcare services are becoming increasingly accessible at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, contributing to a healthier society.

Fubara attributed these achievements to the last six months following the state’s liberation, despite the political crisis aimed at distracting his administration.

He noted that the project aligns with his administration’s three-point agenda.

Fubara said, “We might have had so many things in mind or written down before we came on board. But half way the journey, we found out that we need to redirect ourselves and understand the needs of our people.

“The need for quality education, the need for affordable healthcare services, the need to put food on the tables of our people became more pertinent.

“And that is why we brought this three-point agenda: healthcare, education and agriculture, and you are witnesses to it.

“What we have done, not in one year but in the past six months of our liberation, is that, we have touched healthcare services like never before in our State.

“We have spent and we are spending to make sure that Rivers State becomes health (medical) tourism State.”

According to Fubara, approximately 70 percent of the reconstruction and upgrading work on Zonal Hospitals in the state have been completed.

He noted that the facilities now offer significantly improved conditions compared to before his administration took office.
Fubara emphasized that the Zonal Hospitals have been remodeled to meet international standards, adding that, the various investments made in the health sector have provided compelling evidence to UNICEF and its partners, influencing their decision to establish the Medical Oxygen Plant in the state.

He said, “They saw what we’re doing, and they believed that it will be right to partner with Rivers State. Let’s set the record straight: It is not our project. The Pressure Swing Adsorption Oxygen Plant is a UNICEF project, supported by the Federal Government and other partners.

“But, the unique thing about this project is that it needed to be sited somewhere that people understand its need, people who are spending, making positive investment in healthcare. And that is why we gained that privilege.

“A situation where people from the East, people from other South-South states will be coming to access this facility. You know what it means? On your lands that we’re building more roads for you, people will start buying them to start living here.

“More medical facilities will start to spring up. As a matter of fact, don’t be surprised, most of these international organizations might be coming to set up some plants around here, because what is coming out of here is a very important ingredient in healthcare services.”

Fubara assured that the project will be protected, and enjoined the people of Eleme and the Hospitals Management Board to do everything within their powers secure the plant.

He further appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government, who despite the poor state of the economy that he inherited, is doing everything possible to lead it out of the woods.

Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Adaeze Chidinma Oreh, described the event as a significant milestone in the ongoing effort to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and enhance service delivery.
Oreh highlighted the crucial role of oxygen in medical care, particularly in addressing global health challenges.

The commissioner credited Governor Fubara’s visionary leadership with making it possible for patients in Rivers State to access this essential resource.

She said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical need for a reliable and sustainable supply of medical-grade oxygen to support patients in respiratory distress and other medical emergencies.

“The PSA Oxygen Plant we are commissioning today represents a vital step forward in ensuring that our healthcare facilities are equipped to deliver timely and effective medical care to those in need.

“The oxygen plant can fill 135 cylinders (20-liter bottles) in 24 hours. These can provide 720,000 liters of medical oxygen within the same time frame. This capacity ensures that 100 children with severe pneumonia or 50-60 COVID-19 patients can receive round-the-clock oxygen treatment simultaneously.”

Also speaking, the UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Cristian Munduate, said the partners are delighted to handover the Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Oxygen Plant to the Rivers State Government as an evidence in the collective endeavour of improving health outcomes for Rivers people.

Rivers Govt commissions oxygen plant