[NEWS CLIPPING] For many of us respiration is the simplest factor to do as a result of oxygen is of course obtainable within the air. An oxygen disaster within the nation continues to rise and sufferers are dropping their lives whereas looking for this treasured commodity. Oxygen is an costly luxurious. Well being Minister, Mutahi Kagwe, has reported low oxygen capability within the nation, as a result of rising variety of sufferers in want of the commodity.
[NEWS CLIPPING] Why is the federal government not taking the oxygen disaster as one thing that must be addressed?
RUTH WAMBUI My title is Ruth Wambui Njuguna. I’m a nurse entrepreneur. I’m a mom of three kids. I’m additionally married. I have been married for the final virtually 23 years. And I’ve additionally practiced as a nurse for the final 23 years.
RUTH WAMBUI I used to be born and raised in a small village in Nakuru County. It is referred to as Subukia. My father was a businessman, a shopkeeper, and my mum was a farmer, what you’ll really name a peasant farmer.
MATHEW NJUGUNA Ruth was born in 1979. By the point she acquired to a 12 months outdated, she might converse. She grew up so quick and was fairly clever.
TABITHA NJUGUNA Even in her regular conduct as a toddler, she imitated the lives of docs. Everytime we went to hospital, she would at all times say ”At some point mum, I’ll put on these garments. These nurses garments and cap, I’ll put on them.”
RUTH WAMBUI Topcare, because the title would sound is mostly a place that offers fine quality care. We imagine we’re purported to impression the world, and that’s my husband and I, we’re the founders of Topcare.
RUTH WAMBUI Oxygen is mostly a essential factor and we might not learn about it as a result of proper now it is free. We’re respiration it. When it will get to some extent the place your physique really will not be in a position to do what it ought to do, after which you should get assist, what we name oxygen remedy and you’ll’t get it. There may be nothing as devastating as that.
RUTH WAMBUI I’ll say sooner or later after I was doing my pediatric expertise, there was this youngster who really had respiratory misery and we had been actually making an attempt to run round helter skelter with the nurse that was on responsibility then to try to get oxygen. We had a cylinder, however we really didn’t even have the equipment and I keep in mind the nurse making an attempt to see if there is a means a tube, would really work on that youngster. And that was actually a tragic second as a result of it is one factor to lose a toddler. It is also one other factor to lose a toddler, however pondering perhaps oxygen would have saved them.
RUTH WAMBUI Then got here the difficulty of COVID.
[NEWS CLIPPING] Fellow Kenyans, I wish to inform you that the Ministry of Well being has confirmed the primary Corona virus case in Kenya.
[NEWS CLIPPING] However now the nation is dealing with a disaster as oxygen cylinders go lacking, straining hospitals capability to offer this life saving fuel, as demand for oxygen grows.
RUTH WAMBUI Each my mother and father really contracted COVID, and I keep in mind getting calls. Dad is unwell and isn’t respiration proper. So I thank God for the Subukia (Nakuru) facility as a result of no less than we had one cylinder of oxygen and that is the place he began and was in a position to be transferred to a facility that had oxygen.
RUTH WAMBUI Like two days or so later, my mother was not so properly. I referred to as the power. I referred to as and advised them to ensure now we have a standby oxygen. So we really had been in a position to give my mum oxygen.
RUTH WAMBUI So I paused to actually assume and simply actually see how we will lose lives. Simply due to lack of such an important commodity. So I had little question that that is one factor I wanted to pursue.
RUTH WAMBUI We partnered with Oxygen Hub to bridge the prevailing hole in oxygen provide in amenities. Then statistics say nearly 20% or much less of the oxygen wants had been being met round that point. What they had been doing buys into the dream or what was additionally doing, which is working or guaranteeing all people will get high quality, inexpensive well being care. And so Oxygen Hub got here in and was in a position to supply the plant, was additionally in a position to set up and provides us some technical recommendation, additionally assist by way of trainings and coverage making.
RUTH WAMBUI Our first responsibility is to bridge the hole so we make sure that we ship that at your step.
MOSES NAIGUNA The costs are inexpensive, they’re dependable and any time we’d like them, they’re accessible.
AHMED AKBAR This oxygen could be very helpful to have at residence. In any other case if we do not have it at residence them now we have to begin going to the hospital or perhaps name an ambulance. However by the point we name the ambulance she will get very low, very down due to her respiration. So this oxygen helps quite a bit.
RUTH WAMBUI Our first responsibility is to bridge the hole so we make sure that we ship that at your step. High quality for all. Please underline all. For me, if I had been to consider an ideal world, it is a world the place any individual would come from Subukia, a peasant farmer and is ready to entry the standard of care the place any individual else who’s let’s say a civil servant or any individual having a publish within the authorities or no matter, , like there may be equality. You realize, it is common, like that form of a factor. For me, that is an ideal world.
That is an ideal world.
[This is a short film for Scientific American by Wanjiru Njoroge and Brian Obra, in collaboration with Video Consortium. Additional funding for this film was provided by Skoll foundation.]
