The oxygen production plant of the Princess Alexandra Hospital is being upgraded and modernised to produce much more oxygen than it is currently generating. A team of technicians, led by Mr. Julius Williams of St. Vincent, is currently on island carrying out the installation work, and the system should be operational by early October.
On Wednesday, September 24th, Acting Commissioner of Health, Mr. Malcolm Webster, took the Minister of Health, Cardigan Connor and the Senior Ministerial Advisor, Evans McNiel Rogers, on a tour of the facility showing work-in-progress.
The upgrade is made possible by support from the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) with funding from Direct Relief, an organization that provides humanitarian aid and emergency medical supplies.
The new oxygen upgrade, which is managed by Caribbean Investments Ltd., under the leadership of Mr. Julius Williams, is scheduled to be completed and tested by September 30th.
Once completed, the system will provide a continuous supply of bedside oxygen for critically ill patients and all hospital wards. This capability will serve to address ongoing longstanding oxygen limitations.
Under the current system, oxygen production is limited to 10 tanks every 24 hours, which must be transported manually to the wards when required. During periods of high demand, bedside oxygen is not always available. However, the new system will have the capacity to produce up to 100 tanks daily.
Under the new system, for the first time, oxygen will be supplied directly via the hospital’s piping network, ensuring around the clock availability.
The existing plant, which has been operational since 2018, will be kept in reserve as a backup during maintenance of the upgraded plant or in the event of emergencies.
An official handover ceremony for the new plant is scheduled for early October.
