THE Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS), has received 35 Oxygen Concentrators from the Singapore Red Cross through the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and the Red Crescent Societies that will enhance the country’s capacity to handle oxygen demanding emergencies including COVID-19.
By Michael Gwarisa
The donation comes ahead of an envisaged 4th Wave of the COVID-19 that many fear could have devastating effects compared to the previous three waves. The 35 Oxygen Concentrators will be installed at the Red Cross Clinic in Harare and will be used in the event of hospitalizations. The Oxygen concentrators convert atmospheric oxygen that can be used directly by the patient without any need of refilling the tanks.
In his acceptance speech, ZRCS Secretary General, Mr Elias Hwenga said the donation by the IFRC signals how dedicated and coordinated the Red Cross body is towards providing quality healthcare services globally.
This donation we are receiving today is in sync with the fundamental principle of universality where all components of the Red Cross movement have equal status and share equal responsibilities and duties. The principle of universality indicates that each of the movement’s components, is responsible for the others.
“To the universality of suffering, the response is the universality of humanitarian action which we are witnessing today. Sharing a responsibility of saving humanity as it knows no frontiers. As the Red Cross Movement, we have a shared responsibility. The movement whose vocation is to relieve human suffering cannot be indifferent to the difficulties experienced by one of its components. The principle of universality therefore calls for collective responsibility within the international movement, “said Mr Hwenga.
He added that at the peak of COVID-19 3rd wave Around July, the IFRC requested for the Zimbabwe Red Cross’s needs to see how best they could help mobilise resources.
“We want to acknowledge the tremendous support which we received from the IFRC which engaged to get 35 Oxygen concentrators from Singapore Red Cross. We want to acknowledge this support from IFRC including meeting the shipping costs.
“The National Society intends to use the Oxygen concentrators and Oxygen tanks at the Red Cross clinic which is already functioning at the highest level by providing critical care to parties as we play our key auxiliary role to ensuring quality but affordable medical and pharmaceutical services to the general public. We want to assure that this donation will be fully utilised to the benefit of the Zimbabwean populace.”
Meanwhile, IFRC Head of Country Cluster Delegation for Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi, John Roche said the donation would significantly reduce the impact the envisaged COVID-19 4th wave.
“The Zimbabwean Red Cross was on the frontline and continued to volunteer and we as an international federation, the way we worked changed a little bit because obviously we couldn’t move freely around the world. Many things changed even though we continued to directly work with the real people and volunteers on the ground in the fight against COVID-19 mainly with the activities around the messaging, that is a vital part of the COVUD-19 management process.
“On the medical side of things, you may say now we are two years in, are we late with this piece of equipment? I doubt it. If you look at the world today, COVID-19 has not gone away, it sits silently and then it recurs. If you go to Europe, they are now getting into their fourth and fifth waves. The numbers have spiked in many parts of Europe in what looks like a difficult winter again,” said Roche.
The IFRC has been supporting the Zimbabwean Red cross’s COVID-19 management efforts through availing more than US$1 Million worth of equipment ranging from Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), provision of cash grants, supporting the vaccination program among other interventions.
According to Dr Joel Tapi, the Red Cross Society Clinic General Practitioner in Charge of the Red Cross Clinic, the Oxygen concentrators are used both in hospitals and home settings during home based care and the major advantage of the donated Oxygen concentrators from Singapore is that they utilizes atmospheric oxygen.
“For these Oxygen concentrators, all one needs is electricity availability so that the concentrator can absorb the oxygen. It absorbs atmospheric oxygen, converts it to oxygen and delivers it to the patient. There are different concentrators depending on their capacity and these concentrators have capacity of 10 litres meaning they deliver 10 litters of oxygen per minute depending with the condition of the patient.
“If one needs anything above 10 litters, then there will be need to utilise Oxygen tanks. Right now in Zimbabwe, we have a challenge in terms of supply of Oxygen. We only have one company, that is the Boc Gasses and sometimes there are shortages there. So for people to access Oxygen, it’s very difficult, that’s when now an Oxygen concentrator comes in handy because you don’t need to go and fill it up since it uses atmospheric oxygen,” said Dr Tapi.
