Life-Saving Oxygen Upgrade for Lekutu and Wainunu Health Centres
Joint Media Release
Cure Kids Fiji and the Australian Government have partnered with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) to take a step forward in improving health services in Fiji by providing a reliable life-saving supply of oxygen to patients at Lekutu and Wainunu Health Centres in the Northern Division.
State-of-the-art oxygen concentrator units have been installed in these two health centres, which together with the Nabouwalu Subdivisional Hospital, serve a community of over 14,000 children and adults. Supplying reliable 24-hour oxygen with the support of solar units, these oxygen concentrators will help combat many sicknesses in children including severe pneumonia and newborn illnesses. These diseases are leading causes of ill-health and death amongst infants and toddlers in Fiji. In cases of severe pneumonia, oxygen treatment has been shown to improve survival by 35 percent and is also an important treatment of many illness in adults.
According to Dr Eric Rafai from MHMS and one of the team leaders of the Fiji Oxygen Project, “oxygen is the first and foremost treatment to serve illness or trauma. Patients will now have consistent access to oxygen and health workers will worry less about the next supply of oxygen cylinders.”
The Fiji Oxygen Project’s solar powered oxygen delivery system filters ambient air to produce high quality oxygen. The installation of the state-of-the-art oxygen concentrator units at Lekutu and Wainunu Health Centres will ensure a dependable supply of oxygen for those who need it.
Project co team leader, Dr Stephen Howie said, “it is a privilege to be working with the Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Cure Kids Fiji, and the Australian Government to ensure that the people of Bua subdivision have access to a reliable, life-saving oxygen supply.”
The Fiji Oxygen Project is now active in six key sites around Fiji and aims to roll out nationwide with an additional eight sites in the next two years. The current sites include the Waiyevo Hospital in Taveuni, Nabouwalu Hospital, Nausori Health Centre, Savusavu Sub Divisional Hospital, Wainunu Health Centre and Lekutu Health Centre. Under the Project, more than 130 clinical and technical staff have also been trained in detection and treatment and over 4500 patients nationwide have been treated with oxygen.
The Project has been funded by the Australian Government as well as Cure Kids Fiji through the support of Cure Kids Fiji’s donors including ANZ Bank, Captain Cook Cruises, AccorHotels, Armacup and Rotary. With the support of ANZ bank the annual ANZ Fiji500 cycle event raised over FJ$114,000 this year, providing a huge boost in funds towards the completion of these projects.
ENDS.
For more information, please contact: Jennifer Miller, Partnerships Manager, Cure Kids Fiji, jen@curekids.org.fj, or Devika Narayan, Communications Coordinator, Fiji Program Support Facility, Devika.Narayan@ausfijifacility.org