In 2019, the Health Authority of Anguilla Foundation, also known as the Anguilla Health Foundation, held its first Annual Benefit Concert at Da Vida’s Bay Side Grill.
The event was intended to raise funds for an oxygen bank for the Princess Alexandra Hospital, primarily to facilitate the care of children suffering from Asthma. This was highlighted as a significant need, in light of the number of children who regularly present at the Accident and Emergency Unit with Asthma symptoms.
Since the fundraising event, the oxygen bank was installed and is functional. On Thursday, 27th July, CEO of the Health Authority of Anguilla, Mrs. Maeza Demis-Adams, provided the Anguilla Health Foundation with a tour of the facility. The Foundation was represented by Fiona Curtis, Jackie Ruan and Maxine Herbert-Duggins.
Mrs. Demis-Adams gave an overview of the equipment. “The Anguilla Health Foundation, in 2019, collaborated with the Health Authority of Anguilla, requesting that the organisation provides it with information pertaining to any needs we might have – medical equipment in particular.
“One such pressing need was an oxygen bank. The bank which we utilised at that time was malfunctioning. The Foundation went about raising funds through ticket sales for an event at Da Vida’s. Between that event and its own contributions, the Foundation was able to raise some US$30,000, and the oxygen bank was sourced and procured.” She said that in addition to the cost of the bank itself, the piping in the system costs as much as US$50,000. This amount was subsidised by UK funds.
The CEO continued: “The oxygen is piped through specialised pipes from the bank to the brand new Accident and Emergency Room where we have four bays that can accommodate up to four patients who require oxygen at any given time.
“This is so important for treating patients with asthma and emergencies, because before we had this new bank and the new Accident and Emergency Room, we did not have a dedicated space for asthma patients.”
Biomedical Engineer, Kenichia Charles, actually manages the oxygen bank, and she gave a brief synopsis of its operations: “We have advanced technologically,” she said. “The old bank that we had was manually operated, but this new system is automated. All that we are required to do now is to load the oxygen tanks on the manifold at the bank and the oxygen would be automatically dispensed to the designated bays in the Accident and Emergency Room.
“The bank contains eight oxygen tanks – four on the left side of the manifold and four on the right. Only one side of the bank operates at any given time. What is significant is that when the oxygen level drops to about 200 psi on one side, the system automatically switches over to the other side. In that way, the oxygen pressure remains at an acceptable level.”
Ms. Charles, as well as Mrs. Demise-Adams expressed their appreciation to the Foundation for supplying the oxygen bank.
In addition to Mrs. Demis-Adams and Kenichia Charles, the tour of the Oxygen Bank and the Accident and Emergency Room was also guided by the Director of Nursing Services, Alicia Harewood and the Preventative Maintenance Officer, Lucias Macoy.
