Makerere to install oxygen plant at University Hospital

Makerere University officials have finalised plans to establish an intensive care unit (ICU)and oxygen plant at the institution’s hospital to enable staff and the public access alternative services at a cheaper price.

The chairperson of Makerere Research and Innovation Fund (Mak-RIF), Prof William Bazeyo, made the announcement on Friday during the funeral service of Prof Noble Banadda, who was the university’s head of Department of Agriculture and Bio-systems Engineering. He succumbed to Covid-19  from Case Hospital in Kampala  last week.

Prof Bazeyo said University Hospital will be able to get the facilities in the next three months.
In an interview with Daily Monitor yesterday, the university secretary, Mr Yusuf Kiranda, said they would turn one of the buildings at the Hospital into an ICU.

Mr Kiranda, however, said they would start with the High Dependence Unit (HDU) because an ICU requires ventilators and special beds, which the institution does not have currently. 

“We noted a challenge in a country where our health services were overwhelmed. We have decided to leverage some of our resources to deal with the crisis,” Mr Kiranda said.

“We already have the hospital and a building that is not being used. We just need to turn them around, create rooms for oxygen movement and kick start the treatment,”  he added.

According to Mr Kiranda, the university already has experts, medical personnel, consultants and interns to run the HDU, which he said will cost the university about Shs200m.

“We already have the finance and procurement of equipment kicked off. Our staff and students will be able to access these services in the next few weeks,” he said.

Mr Kiranda said the University Council is slated to convene a sitting to decide on whether treatment should be for free and issue guidelines on how non-staff members will access the services.

Many private hospitals have come under criticism over charging exhorbitant bills to Covid-19 patients, with some demanding Shs5 million per day. However, in a meeting with government, the hospital owners agreed to reduce the costs.
Speaking at the service, the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, said Prof Banadda had accumulated Shs110 million at the time of his death.

Prof Nawangwe said the Petroleum Authority cleared Shs34m of the bill, while Shs50m had been raised by staff.
Prof Banadda to graduated with a PhD in Chemical engineering in 2012. 
He was appointed as full professor in 2012 at the age of 37, one of the youngest persons in the history of Makerere University.

He was the first African recipient of the Pius XI Golden Medal 2018, the first African under the age of 45 to be recognised by a Pope. 
Prof Banadda was the brain behind the development of the parts of the Bulamu Ventilator and the Biodegradable face shields as part of the errofrts to fight Covid -19.

dmukhaye@ ug.nationmedia.com