Rethabile Pitso
THE national oxygen plant in Mafeteng is set to serve as a benchmark for similar facilities to be established in eSwatini and Malawi.
This follows a visit by engineers from the two Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, who toured Lesotho to study the medical oxygen project implemented at Mafeteng Hospital, which now supplies oxygen nationwide.
The project was established by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in partnership with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI).
Initiated in 2021 following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the facility was designed to strengthen healthcare services by ensuring the provision of oxygen to patients in need.
CHAI supported the government in establishing the Mafeteng Liquid Oxygen Hub and Cylinder Filling Station, which comprises two 14-tonne liquid oxygen tanks with a combined filling capacity of 3 200 cylinders.
Additionally, CHAI helped secure a five-year bulk liquid oxygen supply agreement at reduced costs, strengthening the country’s long-term resilience.
Over the past year, the MOH, CHAI and other partners have jointly implemented a healthcare worker training programme through which 425 health providers received training.
Within 15 months of operation, about 3500 tonnes of oxygen have been distributed countrywide.
The delegates, comprising biomedical engineers from the two countries, visited Lesotho to learn about the construction and operation of the facility with the aim of developing similar systems in their own countries to improve oxygen preservation and reduce procurement costs.
According to a statement released by CHAI, the visit marked a major milestone for Lesotho, considering that the country built the system from scratch during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic and has since recorded notable achievements.
During last week’s learning visit, CHAI Programme Officer, Phethetso Mofolo, said the oxygen hub was initially created in response to the Covid-19 pandemic but its broader medical benefits soon became evident.
“We realised soon after obtaining the oxygen that its benefits were limitless in the medical field. For instance, the maternity ward is one of the sectors where our oxygen has significantly improved healthcare outcomes for both mothers and children.
“The two oxygen tanks available in Mafeteng are sufficient to supply the entire country, with one 14-tonne tank specifically dedicated to filling portable oxygen cylinders distributed nationwide, including at Queen ‘Mamohato Memorial Hospital.
“The responsibility of distributing the oxygen lies with the National Drug Service Organisation (NDSO), which is mandated to distribute medicines countrywide,” Mr Mofolo said.
He also revealed that CHAI had secured a five-year oxygen mobilisation agreement with a South African oxygen distributor, which is due to expire in December this year.
“Through this agreement, the South African distributor has been supplying bulk liquid oxygen at a highly discounted price over the past five years. After receiving it in liquid form, we convert it into gas and fill cylinders that are distributed across healthcare facilities in the country. The agreement will come to an end this December,” he said.
Health Ministry Director of Supply Chain Management, Tumelo Mothebe, described the project as a success, saying Lesotho had become a regional reference point for medical oxygen systems.
Speaking on behalf of the delegates, Kamuzu Central Hospital biomedical engineer, Charles Kapalamula, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to undertake the study tour, describing it as an eye-opening experience.
“We are grateful to have seen the project in operation in Mafeteng, especially how oxygen is being utilised.
“We also had the opportunity to understand the oxygen supply chain in the country. We met highly competent engineers who are dedicated and meticulous in their work, and who provided us with the details required to support similar projects back home.
“They have also shared their Standard Operating Procedures, which will serve as valuable reference material for us. We have seen that they truly practise what they designed, and that is our biggest takeaway from this visit,” Mr Kapalamula said.
