Do You Have Oxygen?

Today, I will like to share two stories with you. Please read on:

Courtesy: Wikipedia

1.

On Wednesday June 24^th, I was called out of a church service by a well respected High Court Judge. He wanted me to help take a look at a little girl. Diane (not her real name) was a sweet looking two-year old. What struck me when I first saw her was how frail she was. She clearly had growth retardation and was about half her expected weight. She was in severe respiratory distress, cyanosed and febrile. Her parents said she had being admitted about 5 different times since birth for ‘pneumonia’. I didn’t have a stethoscope to listen to her heart. But, I immediately thought of a congenital heart disease.

I placed a call to a very good friend who is a Pediatric Resident and sent Diane to him for evaluation and management. After examination at the hospital where he works, he confirmed my fears. She had a Congenital Heart Disease. He promptly proceeded to admit her into the ward prior to investigations and further review. But alas, the oxygen cylinder in the ward was empty! And there was no oxygen in the entire hospital. Since her condition required oxygen as part of the immediate management, Diane was referred to another hospital. She died as soon as she got to the entrance of the emergency pediatric unit of the second hospital!

2.

About two years ago, a very close relative suffered a CVA and was admitted into the medical ward of a hospital. He was comatose for about a week and in that period, he needed oxygen to remain alive. The hospital didn’t have enough to go round all the patients. I wanted to keep him alive long enough so all his children could come visit him before his imminent death. As a result, I had to ‘borrow’ oxygen from several private hospitals in town to supplement what the hospital could spare for him.

The stories above are not fictional. They are real stories that involved real people who needed something as basic as oxygen. I am sure similar scenarios play out daily in hospitals and clinics all over the developing world. I have seen so-called emergency ambulances used to convey critically ill patients that lacked oxygen canisters/cylinders! Sadly, what Physicians in developed countries take for granted is now a luxury in many developing countries like mine. There is an urgent need to restructure and revamp the healthcare system in developing countries. We must put in place an organized system to prevent the absence or shortage of vital materials and equipment.

Oxygen alone certainly cannot treat all illnesses and diseases. Diane probably would have died even if she had received oxygen. My close relative also died despite my best efforts to provide oxygen. But that is beside the point.

The simple question is: Do you have oxygen and other basic live-saving equipment in your hospital?

It could mean the difference between life and death. If you currently lack oxygen and other basic life-saving equipment in your hospital, the time to get it is NOW! You would be saving lives.

Cheers!