Boost Funding for Oxygen Plants to Prevent Unnecessary Deaths

Health experts, government officials and development partners have urged Uganda’s leadership to step up funding for the installation and upkeep of medical oxygen plants nationwide, warning that gaps in oxygen supply are costing lives.

At a high-level workshop in Kampala on oxygen technology and the National Oxygen Program, representatives from the Ministry of Health, UNICEF and the FREO2 Foundation said access to reliable oxygen must improve so that no patient dies due to equipment shortages or weak referral systems.

Although Uganda has boosted its stock of oxygen cylinders — with nearly 9,000 in referral hospitals and over 15,000 when including Health Centre IVs — many still go unused or break down because there isn’t enough funding for repairs.

Officials called for more Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants and spare parts hubs for oxygen concentrators so that facilities do not lose vital equipment or rely solely on cylinders. According to long-term plans under the National Implementation Plan for Medical Oxygen Scale-Up (2023/24-2027/28), expanding access to quality oxygen therapy is a priority — but it cannot be achieved without adequate financial support.

Health workers shared examples of the benefits smaller oxygen systems have brought to newborn and pediatric care at Health Centre IVs and general hospitals. One clinician described how premature twins were stabilised using an advanced oxygen system before moving to more intensive treatment.

Experts also noted that systems such as those provided by the FREO2 Foundation act as useful backups when PSA plants are unavailable or break down, helping to reduce pressure on cylinder supplies.

The call for increased investment comes against a backdrop of past efforts to install oxygen plants across regional referral hospitals, aimed at reducing reliance on scarce cylinders — efforts that have demonstrated the life-saving impact of ready oxygen supply.