PM foundation gives to hospital
Published:Saturday | December 18, 2021 | 12:06 AM
As Jamaica gears up for a fourth wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Prime Minister Andrew Holness donated 19 new medical oxygen concentrators valued at approximately US$25,000, which will more rapidly assist persons who become infected and are admitted with mild symptoms.
Three of the machines, which were donated through his Positive Jamaica Foundation, were handed over to the Bustamante Hospital for Children on Thursday.
Two persons can be treated through each machine at the same time.
“These medical oxygen concentrators is not a full solution to the problem, because you need high-flow oxygen for patients who have serious breathing distress, but these machines will help to save the moderately ill and reserve high-flow oxygen for those children severely ill,” Holness said.
He added: “In anticipation of a fourth wave, we would be in a far better position in terms of increasing supply and putting in redundancies, and part of the redundancy strategy is to have machines like these.”
Holness said the Government had plans in place for oxygen in the last spike, but the supplier on which it was relying decided that it had to meet local demands.
“That was a lesson that I learnt and we have to ensure that we have enough capacity, enough resources, enough redundancies in our systems that when these unplanned, unexpected events happen at the magnitude that they do oftentimes, that we are able to respond,” Holness said.
INDEPENDENT COUNTRY
“Sometimes we have to appreciate that nobody owes us any special favour and as an independent country, we have to stand on our two feet and treat with our problems.”
He also thanked Jamaica’s ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks, for her efforts. There was also commendation for hospitals overseas that assisted Holness with acquiring the equipment.
These machines will be available in some hospitals, which the Ministry of Health and Wellness has not yet disclosed.
The ministry is also in the process of acquiring close to 100 oxygen concentrators for the island.