GRADIAN Health System, a non-profit medical technology company, has donated three ventilators worth 105m/- to Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) to help patients with respiratory problems treated at the hospital.
The donation will help MNH provide better patient care and improve the hospital’s capacity to treat respiratory illnesses.
Receiving the support recently, MNH Executive Director Professor Mohamed Janabi said that the machines have come at the right time and that they will help achieve one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which is to reduce infant mortality.
SDG 3.2.1 aims to end preventable deaths of newborns and under-5 children by 2030. The goal has two targets: Reduce newborn mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1000 live births in every country; and reduce under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1000 live births in every country.
Prof Janabi states, “The equipment can be used for infants and adults. In Muhimbili, we serve over 1,000 children born with a weight of less than one kilogram who encounter numerous issues, including incapacity to breathe,”
He continued by saying that, per the World Health Organisation (WHO), 10 per cent of hospital beds should be set aside for critically sick patients, necessitating the need for 150 beds, all of which should be equipped with such breathing assistance machines.
Prof Janabi urged other organisations to follow Gradian Health System’s lead and support the hospital’s requirements because 40 per cent of the patients treated there are unable to pay for their care.
“The need for such machines is still high; I call on other organisations to imitate the example of the Gradian Health system by donating to the hospital’s needs,” he noted.
According to Mr Ibrahimu Bakari, a Gradian Health System representative, in addition to providing support, his organisation will also do preventative maintenance on the equipment for five years and teach the specialists who will be using the equipment.
He further said their company works in partnership with healthcare providers to design and introduce user-centric solutions that address gaps in technology solutions, training, and customer service.
“With innovations in anaesthesia, critical care, and oxygen therapy, Gradian has enabled healthcare teams to provide high-quality, safe care to more than 2.2 million patients across Africa, Asia, and Latin America,” said Mr Bakari.
Meanwhile, Prof Janabi met with representatives from the American Jackson Clinic Foundation and the Kenyan Amref International University to consider future collaboration in the field of physiotherapy and rehabilitation.
