Anambra State joined the international community to mark the 2024 World Oxygen Day, with Governor Professor Charles Soludo receiving commendations for his proactive healthcare initiatives that have contributed to the overall well-being and longevity of the citizenry.
Making this known during a road walk to commemorate the occasion, themed “Breathe Better, Walk Together,” the Managing Director/Chief Executive of Anambra State Oxygen Production Plants, Nwamakae Arinze, thanked the governor for his assurance to increase the number of cylinders from 200 to 500 daily in the near future.
Arinze observed that this gesture would help ensure that healthcare services are functionally and regularly available, affordable, and accessible, thereby avoiding untimely deaths. She also emphasized that the provision of oxygen in hospitals would significantly save the lives of women in labor, newborns, and victims of accidents and trauma who might otherwise be lost due to a lack of oxygen.
She noted that the medical oxygen hub at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku Awka, remains the largest in the Southeast zone.
Arinze indicated that the additional cylinders would strengthen efforts to ensure that hospitals consistently have enough pure oxygen of about 93 percent quality to prevent avoidable deaths in the state. According to her, the governor’s intentional mandate regarding health is that no one should die due to a lack of oxygen in hospitals.
She pointed out that the federal government has established a national policy to ensure that Nigeria achieves Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with oxygen production being a critical component. She added that the agency is leaving no stone unturned to meet the governor’s vision of achieving the 2030 SDGs aimed at reducing the Under-5 Infant Mortality Rate to 25 per 1,000 live births.
Arinze explained that this year’s event featured a road show that emphasized the need for non-reusable oxygen facemasks, the distillation of water (H2O), and the ability to analyze oxygen bars marked in green (normal), yellow (finishing), and red (danger zone). She also appreciated the state governor for his industrialization policy, which includes establishing an Industrial Hub to reduce carbon monoxide through regulations and obligations for industries to carry out corporate social responsibility.
