The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) have started producing oxygen for state-run hospitals to ease the burden of the existing plants as COVID-19 cases keep rising, an army spokesperson said Sunday.
The army’s commercial arm, the National Enterprise Corporation, has started supplying oxygen cylinders to a number of military or government-run hospitals, Brig Gen Flavia Byekwaso, spokesperson for the Uganda People’s Defense Forces.
Byekwaso said Bombo Military Hospital has started receiving oxygen cylinders and Mulago National Referral Hospital has also placed orders.
Ms Byekwaso did not rule out supplying oxygen to private hospitals, but said authorities were yet to decide on the mode of transaction.
The supply came after media reports that medical oxygen was running out in some districts.
Local media reported Saturday that the greater Masaka sub-region of the central district of Masaka was facing a serious oxygen crisis after the only oxygen manufacturing plant at Masaka Regional Referral Hospital broke down.
The Ministry of Health said Sunday that the country’s COVID-19 tally has reached 61,977, after 1,727 new infections were reported.
