UTH faces equipment vandalism and defective oxygen cylinders

By MakanDay reporter,

A MakanDay investigation has uncovered that the oxygen plant at the University Teaching Hospital’s (UTH) adult wing, commissioned on December 20, 2013, by then-Minister of Health Dr. Joseph Kasonde under the Patriotic Front government, has been vandalised by unknown individuals. The likelihood of refurbishing the plant is reportedly slim.

An anonymous source at the hospital told MakanDay that management is now considering reviving the older oxygen plant, which has proven to be more reliable. The source further revealed that just last year, an armoured cable was stolen from the newer oxygen plant by unidentified vandals.

Currently, the oxygen plant in use at UTH is designated for the children’s hospital. This plant was refurbished in 2020 at a cost of over K700,000, with financial backing from UNICEF and the Swedish government. Unfortunately, it cannot meet the oxygen demands of the entire UTH.

An earlier MakanDay investigation revealed that a significant number of oxygen cylinders supplied to Zambia’s largest hospital by ChinGases Company Limited, based in Lusaka’s industrial area, were allegedly defective. These cylinders are intended to help treat critically ill patients.