Rundu swaps ICU unit with Covid-19 isolation facility
KENYA KAMBOWE
RUNDU
The Kavango East health directorate has turned the Rundu Intermediate Hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) into its Covid-19 isolation unit in order to provide seriously ill patients with a consistent supply of medical oxygen.
This was confirmed yesterday by Kavango East health director Timea Ngwira, who said the decision was taken because the isolation unit set up last year did not have its own oxygen bank and had to make use of oxygen cylinders.
The ICU unit also has more beds to accommodate Covid-19 patients.
The isolation unit has only eight beds that could be connected to the medical oxygen supply while the ICU can accommodate 20 patients.
“It (ICU unit) has more oxygen points and we need more oxygen because we have more patients,” Ngwira said.
“The one which was used as the isolation facility was fumigated and now used for ICU patients.
“ICU has more beds and we can easily put 20 people on where at the isolation facility you can only put about eight people on oxygen.”
Kavango East has 26 hospitalised Covid patients and none are in ICU.
Over the past few weeks, it has been reported that health facilities in the country are faced with a lack of medical oxygen needed by Covid-19 patients.
By Sunday Namibia had recorded 74 682 cumulative confirmed cases, of which 13 831 are active cases.
The total number of those who succumbed to the virus now stands at 1 164.
[email protected]
RUNDU
The Kavango East health directorate has turned the Rundu Intermediate Hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) into its Covid-19 isolation unit in order to provide seriously ill patients with a consistent supply of medical oxygen.
This was confirmed yesterday by Kavango East health director Timea Ngwira, who said the decision was taken because the isolation unit set up last year did not have its own oxygen bank and had to make use of oxygen cylinders.
The ICU unit also has more beds to accommodate Covid-19 patients.
The isolation unit has only eight beds that could be connected to the medical oxygen supply while the ICU can accommodate 20 patients.
“It (ICU unit) has more oxygen points and we need more oxygen because we have more patients,” Ngwira said.
“The one which was used as the isolation facility was fumigated and now used for ICU patients.
“ICU has more beds and we can easily put 20 people on where at the isolation facility you can only put about eight people on oxygen.”
Kavango East has 26 hospitalised Covid patients and none are in ICU.
Over the past few weeks, it has been reported that health facilities in the country are faced with a lack of medical oxygen needed by Covid-19 patients.
By Sunday Namibia had recorded 74 682 cumulative confirmed cases, of which 13 831 are active cases.
The total number of those who succumbed to the virus now stands at 1 164.
[email protected]
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