Goroka Base Hospital in Eastern Highlands Province is struggling the meet the oxygen demand for the increased number of Covid-19 patients coming in to receive treatment at the hospital.
“The hospital is doing very good but with the demand for oxygen increasing lately, we are trying to meet the demand of patients needing oxygen.”
“Because of the respiratory infection Covid-19 has brought about that causes patients to go into severe respiratory distress, the number of the oxygen demand now is more so we have to supply them more oxygen,” said a doctor from the Emergency Department of the Goroka Base Hospital.
He made a call on social media asking for assistance from anyone willing to help them with oxygen cylinders for the patients at the hospital.
He said that hours after he pleaded for assistance, he received very good response from the business houses who provided nine (9) oxygen cylinders that were delivered to the hospital on Saturday and another eight (8) cylinders on Sunday.
Goroka Base Hospital had scaled down its operations since the surge in Covid-19 cases at the end of last month.
The Doctor added that they are only receiving Covid-19 Patients and so far the Covid-19 isolation facility is full as well as the emergency department with covid-19 patients hence the high demand of oxygen.
He further added that hopefully the oxygen cylinders that they have received from the donations can last and supplement the patients until Tuesday when they receive their next supply of Oxygen which is brought in from Lae.