Oxygen crisis in Hargeisa’s main hospital

Hargeisa – A two years old baby died in Hargeisa General Hospital because the hospital was short of medical oxygen. This is the second case of death in Hargeisa Hospital for lack of medical oxygen since New Year ’s Eve.

Khadra Halgan, a former reporter at local television stations, reported the latest tragic death to lack of oxygen in the public hospital.

Khadra said she took her niece to the hospital but was informed that oxygen was not available at the hospital. They were referred to a private company that fills concentrated Oxygen Cylinders. In the process, the child perished. 

The anguished aunt took her grieve to social media. She asked her followers the point of a general hospital without the simple facilities as medical oxygen. 

The hospital has an oxygen-producing facility but was working under-capacity for a while now. Besides, the shortage, the slowdown in oxygen production caused steep medical bills at the government’s hospital. A patient needing mechanical breathing may have to pay one hundred US Dollars in oxygen bills only per day. The filling of a small-sized cylinder of oxygen costs thirty dollars paid in advance — sold as a commodity. 

The hospital is 100 meters away from the Presidential Palace and Parliament Building in Hargeisa. The hospital generates billions of shillings from health services provided to overcrowded patients . It has 700 workers employed at very low salaries compared to private hospitals in the city.