Upper East Regional Health Directorate Takes delivery of Pulse Oximeters

01-03-2011
A team of health expert from Southampton Hospital in the United Kingdom with support by Afrikids , has donated 9 set of Pulse Oximeters and ancillary equipments to the Upper East Regional Health Directorate to assist the various health facilities perform surgery with ease. The provision of the surgery equipments which is to replace the conventional method of performing operation with the aid of blood pressure apparatus among other methods forms part of effort aimed at improving anaesthesia and safe surgery under a worldwide project dubbed: “Safe Surgery saves lives”. It is a partnership programme hosted by the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists , involving the Association of Anaesthetists of UK and Ireland and the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr Oliver Rox who is the leader of the team indicated that the provision of the pulse oximeters comes along with training of health personnel manning the various health facilities in the region. The one week training he noted would go along way to assist beneficiary health facilities perform surgery with ease and also enable them save lives. He said the equipment are meant for supply to low resourced hospitals and are to be used according to guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Mr. Rox expressed the belief that the provision of the equipments will contribute in reducing the increasing spate of maternal and infant mortality by 50 percent in the health sector of the region. Receiving the items, the Regional Director of Health Services, Dr John Koku-Awoonor-Williams emphasized the relevance of the equipments in dealing with emergency cases especially at the theatres, where surgeries are performed. He however expressed profound appreciation for the gesture and pledged on behalf of the beneficiaries to put them into good use. According to him some selected health personnel manning the various district hospitals would be taken through training to ensure the proper handling of the equipments so as to prolong their lifespan. He was grateful to the team and called for sustainable and effective partnership between them and the directorate. Dr. Awoonor-Williams also called on the support of other donor agencies to assist the region address some of its infrastructural and human resource challenges to save more lives. A senior nurse anaesthetist at the Sandema District Hospital, Mr. Samuel Akologo described the oximeters and the ancillary equipments as essential since the heart rate and the oxygen concentration of patients would be continuously monitored until the operation is over. He said the equipments have a monitoring and alarm system capable of given all the necessary alertness when surgery is being performed on a patient. Mr Akologo called for more of such equipments to help save more lives particularly in the remote health facilities.
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