Hewatele has launched the construction of East Africa’s first modern liquid oxygen manufacturing plant within Tatu Industrial Park. Increasing medical-grade liquid oxygen demand in various healthcare facilities within this region has pushed investments towards creating a Cryogenic MEDICAL Liquid Oxygen Air Separation unit critical in securing a continuous quality oxygen supply, especially in areas where it had been hard to get adequate amounts.
A 2020 report by the Kenya Ministry of Health exposed disparities in the availability of oxygen in public primary hospitals in contrast to private facilities and secondary hospitals. Bringing into mind this wide gap, this new plant is capable of reliably supplying medical oxygen across varied settings of healthcare.
This $20 million USD investment project is made possible by a number of development partners, such as the United States Development Finance Corporation, the government of Finland through Finnfund, Grand Challenges Canada, Soros Economic Development Fund, and UBS Optimus Foundation of Switzerland. This only goes to cement the fact that medical oxygen systems are an integral part of health system strengthening and achievement of health-related SDGs.
In his speech, the founder of Hewatele, Dr. Bernard Olayo, tried to look at the bigger picture of this investment. “Access to quality emergency healthcare services is a fundamental human right. It enhances the quality of life, where citizens concentrate on personal and business development. Global solidarity coupled with resource mobilization is needed to achieve universal health care,” said Dr. Olayo. He therefore took the opportunity to link universal health and economic growth with lower inequality, hence placing the plant in a broader perspective.
According to the Ambassador of Finland, Pirkka Tapiola, the partnership is going to help enhance the affordable oxygen supply chain and increase emergency preparedness, thereby contributing to the health sector of Kenya. The United States Ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman, concurred with this when she remarked, “This facility is a win-win for Kenya. It will improve healthcare in the country and provide jobs in a growing industry.”.
The facility is likely to serve over 300 facilities within the region with a capacity of producing 20 tonnes of medical oxygen every day. This shall greatly improve health care delivery and save numerous lives. This is a game-changing development for quality health care in Kenya and the East African region.