Mulago Referral Hospital has strongly dispelled a report by Daily Monitor which alleges that two people suffering from Coronavirus died at the facility from of lack of oxygen.
The story authored by a senior editor Daniel Kalinaki published on November 30 claims that two patients a 70- year- old and a 27 -year- old, all battling Coronavirus died from the hospital’s ICU after hooking them to the ventilator beds.
The story suggests that the ventilator which supports the patient with oxygen was instead supplying hot air, yet the equipment looked new.
Addressing the media on Wednesday afternoon, the deputy Executive Director of Mulago hospital clarified that the patients, who include a 70-year-old referral from Rubaga Hospital ICU, a 27 year-old case referred from Hoima Regional Referral Hospital and 46 year-old case, died of severe COVID-19 with multi-organ dysfunction.
“It is therefore not true that the patients died due to lack oxygen. During this period, the Mulago Hospital ICU had other patients who posted better outcomes.
COVID 19 causes mild to moderately severe disease which in majority of cases, can be self-limiting,” she explained.
About 20% of cases progress to very severe disease leading to multiple organs in the body failing to function. Depending on the severity of the organ dysfunction, the outcome is usually bad with most patients who progress to this stage succumbing to the disease.
“As at March to April 2020 Covid-19 was the 3rd leading cause of death in USA after Heart diseases and Cancer. It is important note that admission into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is meant to offer life support for critically ill patients. Life support includes the use of machines such as ventilators and other high end medications as the patients’ body fights the disease thus the death rate tends to be high. Italy’s ICU death rates during this pandemic were at 51% and a good number discharged from ICU still remained incapacitated in one way or the other,” she added.
Dr Byanyima further elucidated that, currently Mulago National Referral Hospital has four (4) new fully functioning Oxygen Plants which are supplying Oxygen to where it is required in optimal amounts and purity levels.
The newly installed 4 oxygen plants at the Hospital makes it the largest Oxygen plant in the country that is able to generate 2,083 liters of oxygen per minute.
In 24 hours the Mulago, the plant can generate about 2,999,520 liters of oxygen which in normal circumstances can serve about 900 patients. The four are part of the seven plants procured by the Ministry of Health to meet the oxygen needs in the country.
“The article makes a comparison of the cost price of the new plants with the old ones installed 10 years ago which is misleading,” she said.