After over nine years after it last functioned at usable capacity, the Kwara state governor, Mall AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has refurbished the state’s oxygen plant.
The revamped facility bolsters Kwara’s capabilities to manage Coronavirus (COVID-19) patients who may require ventilators for a lifeline.
AbdulRazaq said this on Friday in Ilorin at a brief ceremony to hand over the facility for use.
“This facility comes handy at this time. If for whatever reason any of our patients require oxygen, Kwara does not need to buy oxygen from any private sources or other states.
“In fact, the plant’s capacity is such that we can sell to private hospitals and some other states. Yesterday, we supported the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) with 13 small cylinders and one big cylinder of oxygen.”
The oxygen plant last worked at required purity level in 2011.
Engineer Ben Babatunde, the plant manager, said the oxygen now has 93% purity level and can fill 24 (7mm) oxygen cylinders in one day.
The facility has only worked for 56,156 hours (six years four months) cumulatively since it was established in 2004.
Kwara currently has two COVID-19 cases — both of whom are asymptomatic at the moment.