Ukrainian hospitals will be equipped with autonomous oxygen generation stations
15 pivotal hospitals specializing in COVID-19 treatment will be equipped with autonomous oxygen generation stations. The equipment is intended for patients who need oxygen support. All stations are expected to become operational by early summer 2021. The project costs USD 1,000,000. CO “100% Life” equips all the hospitals with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The first station was opened on the eve of the new year in Hoshcha City Central Hospital, Rivne oblast.
“Our hospital is among the facilities of the first wave of care for patients with COVID-19. Every day we treat 40-50 patients with COVID-19, about 30 of whom need oxygen support. The lion’s share of oxygen is needed by patients in the intensive care unit, that is about thirty cylinders a day. One patient on a ventilator needs more than 10 oxygen cylinders per day, says Leonid Vasyliuk, Deputy Chief Physician of Hoshcha City Central Hospital. – On weekends, twice a day, we had to drive 100 km one-way to obtain oxygen cylinders. Now, as the station is an automated system that independently produces and supplies oxygen, human resources are relieved from this task and can engage in working with patients directly. It’s also a big saving on oxygen purchasing and transportation”.
When the COVID-19 epidemic is overcome, the equipment will be used for the needs of patients in the life support unit, intensive care unit, surgery room, therapeutic and pediatric wards.
“It is known from the comments of technical experts that the station in Hoshcha can produce 210 liters of medical oxygen per minute. For patients, this means uninterrupted access to life. For doctors, this is an opportunity to take care of people, not wasting their efforts on logistics and procurement. As the largest patient community, we want every Ukrainian hospital to have such stations. And we are grateful to our USAID partners for the flexibility and ability to direct project resources to where patients need help the most”, said Dmytro Sherembey, Chairman of the CO “100% Life”.
Autonomous oxygen generation stations will be deployed at 15 pivotal hospitals in 13 oblasts of Ukraine: Vinnytsia, Rivne, Kirovohrad, Lviv, Cherkasy, Volyn, Chernihiv, Donetsk, Sumy, Chernivtsi, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Ternopil.
As of late February, the stations in Shumsk, Krolevets, and Koryukivka are being prepared for commissioning.
According to the estimates of the CO “100% Life”, hospitals can spend up to UAH 10,000 per day to purchase oxygen cylinders. Oxygen stations will provide uninterrupted supply of oxygen in the hospitals based on the demanded volume. With such a station, one will no longer need to buy oxygen in cylinders or oxygen concentrators. Patients will have constant access to high quality medical oxygen.
The equipment and supplies are provided by the CO “100% Life” with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) within the framework of the HealthLink project.
