(3 minutes)
· Kenya needs medical oxygen on an urgent basis as growing number of seriously ill COVID-19 patients with the delta variant of the coronavirus is reported
· A social enterprise- Hewatele- that manufactures medical oxygen, is planning to double its output in a bid to meet demand
· The pandemic has upped the demand for oxygen and components essential for its production
Kenya needs medical oxygen on an urgent basis as a growing number of seriously ill COVID-19 patients with the delta variant of the coronavirus is reported. A social enterprise- Hewatele- that manufactures medical oxygen, is planning to double its output in a bid to meet demand.
The company based in Nairobi so far produced oxygen by using a natural salt to separate oxygen and nitrogen from the air. Hewatele now intends to invest US$1.5 million in order to switch to an air separation unit that will produce liquid oxygen. The target set is to produce 20 tons per day. The capital required will be met by raising funds from various sources including international financiers.
The pandemic has upped the demand for oxygen and components essential for its production. Presently, one of the largest manufacturers of oxygen, Hewatele, supplies 200 hospitals in Kenya. It has three plants strategically set up in the country. Yet , the cost is higher, at least 10 times as compared to several countries. The demand has outstripped the supply. For instance, at Care Hospital in Nairobi, the usage of medical oxygen cylinders increased from three to eight per day.
