In a significant move to improve patient care at Lusaka’s University Teaching Hospitals (UTH), the institution has received a donation of 10 oxygen concentrators. The donation was made possible through the United States Agency for International Development Tuberculosis Local Organisation Network (USAID-TBLON), in collaboration with the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ).
The oxygen concentrators, which were handed over to UTH on November 19, 2024, are aimed at improving the outcomes for respiratory patients, particularly those suffering from conditions such as tuberculosis (TB). However, they will also benefit a range of other patients who require oxygen support.
Dr. Mutumwa Muyangana, a CIDRZ medical officer, emphasized the importance of the donation, highlighting that the concentrators would enable UTH hospitals to provide critical care to a broader range of patients. “These concentrators will enable the hospitals to provide critical care treatment to not only TB patients but also other patients who may require oxygen support,” Dr. Muyangana said.
The donation is especially timely as UTH’s Children’s Hospital faces high demand for oxygen, particularly for young patients suffering from pneumonia. Dr. Musaku Mwenechanya, senior medical superintendent at the hospital, welcomed the gesture, noting that the hospital spends considerable amounts of money procuring oxygen concentrators. “We have pneumonia children who need oxygen. The hospital spends a lot of money to procure oxygen concentrators, and this helps reduce the expenditure burden on the hospital,” Dr. Mwenechanya remarked.
The donation of these oxygen concentrators is a step forward in ensuring that UTH can continue to provide critical care to both adults and children, reducing financial strain while improving health outcomes for respiratory patients.
