Duale Flags Off Over 10,000 Medical Equipment Units to Boost Newborns’ Care
The Ministry of Health has officially dispatched over 10,000 units of oxygen equipment under the Global Fund C19RM Oxygen Infrastructure Project to improve oxygen access in hospitals and health centers across Kenya.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, who led the flag-off ceremony on Tuesday, October 4, said the new consignment includes 470 multiparameter patient monitors, 10,000 wall outlet flowmeters, and 612 oxygen analyzers.
These essential tools are expected to play a key role in improving medical care for newborns and patients suffering from respiratory-related illnesses nationwide.
Duale emphasized that the new medical supplies will complement the 20,620 oxygen cylinders that were previously distributed to health facilities across the country.
He explained that the new devices will help hospitals respond better to emergencies, especially when dealing with infants or patients struggling with breathing problems.
“This is a major step forward in our efforts to strengthen Kenya’s healthcare system,” Duale said. “We want every Kenyan—from the youngest newborn to patients in intensive care—to have access to safe, consistent, and reliable oxygen therapy.
This equipment will help us deliver early oxygen treatment to newborns and also support patients suffering from asthma, pneumonia, COPD, and other respiratory conditions.”
The Health CS further noted that the ministry has already started training healthcare workers to ensure they have the technical knowledge and skills to operate and maintain the new medical equipment.
According to Duale, capacity-building programs are ongoing to make sure that biomedical engineers, pharmacists, and clinicians can handle the new technology effectively.
Through the oxygen infrastructure project, which is being implemented in partnership with AMREF, the Ministry of Health has already installed more than 14 bulk oxygen tanks and supplied about 1.2 million kilograms of liquid oxygen to hospitals across the country.
Duale explained that this effort has significantly strengthened the country’s ability to deliver oxygen therapy, especially in remote areas.
He highlighted that the installation of the oxygen systems in marginalized regions such as West Pokot and Turkana has led to the establishment of new intensive care units (ICUs).
Before this development, patients in these counties had to travel long distances to access critical care services in other regions.
“To ensure efficiency, all the equipment will be calibrated every six months,” Duale stated. “We will also continue training health workers so that our medical teams—biomedical engineers, clinicians, and pharmacists—can properly manage and maintain this vital equipment.”
Duale reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that oxygen is not only available but also accessible in every part of the health system—from wards and nurseries to operating theatres and ICUs—even in the most remote areas of the country.
He added that this achievement marks an important step toward equitable healthcare for all Kenyans and will help the nation move closer to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). “Our mission is to make sure no patient is left behind, regardless of where they live,” he concluded.
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