By Mohamud Abdi Mohamud
An oxygen plant was launched on February 15, 2022 by Dahabshiil Group at De Martino hospital, a health facility based in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. The specialized hospital is providing free health services; including response to Covid-19 pandemic in the capital city and Banadir region, the most populated area in Somalia.
The provision of the oxygen plant has eventually increased the expectation of the Somali people at a time when a lifesaving treatment for the coronavirus has been largely unobtainable to patients during the epidemic.
“The supply of the oxygen plant to De Martino hospital is essential in improving the health system and advancing towards health-related Sustainable Development Goals.” Hassan Abid Awad” said
The installation of the oxygen plant with the assistance of Dahabshiil Group is aimed at overcoming COVID-19 in Somalia, which initially emerged in the country in March 2020.
The oxygen plant in De Martino hospital was procured from Turkey with two years guarantee by the Dahabshiil Group , International fund transfer company that provides services to the humanitarian organizations including the United Nations as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility Program (CSR)
The installation services for the oxygen plant have been done by Turkish engineers, and Dahabshiil Group has given assurance to the Ministry of Health and the hospital for undertaking the necessary maintenance services for the Oxygen Plant.
Since the onset of the coronavirus in Somalia two years ago, none of the main public health sector hospitals had medical oxygen available, in that case, installing and delivering oxygen plant to De Martino specialized hospital has contributed immensely to the efforts of ensuring high-grade medical oxygen is available free of charge at the hospital to provide care for every patient struggling to breathe.
Somalia was among the countries that had suffered severe oxygen shortages during the surges in COVID-19 infections, forcing desperate families of patients to pay excessive prices for cylinders.
At a certain point, one cylinder of oxygen cost $50 in Somalia, and has been observed to have reached from $ 400 to $ 500 at private hospitals because of the oxygen supply shortage.
From January 3, 2020 to March 25,2022, in Somalia there have been 26, 410 Covid-19 cases and 1,361 deaths reported to World Health Organizations, however, the figure could be higher due to insufficient testing and unreported deaths.
Furthermore, as of March 16, 2022, a total of 2,335,560 vaccine doses have been administered. Latest overview vaccination data indicate 7.9% of the Somali population has been fully vaccinated.
In the past, on April 26, 2020, Dahabshiil Group has donated a brand-new Hyundai Ambulance to the Ministry of Health of the Federal Government of Somalia to strengthen the efforts toward the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. The zero-kilometer ambulance fully equipped with essential health facilities has played a key role in ferrying patients to and from the hospitals, especially in emergency cases.
The Medina hospital, one of the major hospitals in Mogadishu has also received the construction of the Recovery Ward built by Dahabshiil Group on November 23, 2017.
The fully equipped Recovery Ward has provided much needed and missed health services at Medina hospital, which mainly focuses on trauma and emergency maternal medicine, treating several hundred war-wounded patients and expectant mothers every month.
In addition, Dahabshiil Group has generously donated $200,000 to help reconstruct the mental health unit of Forlanini Hospital in Mogadishu on January 13, 2013.
With that support, the Forlanini hospital has received renovation works including provisions for an electric generator, water-reservoir tanks, an annex room for emergencies, two wards and administration and service blocks.
The Forlanini hospital, formerly known as Laansareeti Hospital, and destroyed by the wars, is currently providing mental health services which are much needed at this stage the country is passing through.