Training and Safety at the Heart of Access Oxygen™: Ensuring the Optimal Use of Oxygen in South Africa
Since August 2021, the Access Oxygen™ program, operated by VitalAire and funded by ALLISA, has been strengthening access to medical oxygen in the Unjani clinic network in 9 regions of South Africa. This initiative has already equipped more than 185 clinics with the Access Oxygen1 kit and trained more than 389 nurses in the use and administration of medical oxygen.
The therapeutic use of medical oxygen requires appropriate medical devices and sources to best treat patients suffering from hypoxia. An important part of the Access Oxygen team's work is to train healthcare personnel in the use of the kit provided, in order to obtain the best clinical results - within the framework of therapeutic protocols decided by local medical authorities - and to ensure that training is taken into account by all partner organizations.
To this end, The access oxygen team has recently trained the regional managers of the Unjani clinic network, who will in turn act as field trainers, regularly updating the knowledge of Unjani clinic nurses and employees. This regular training of healthcare staff ensures that the administration of medical oxygen for emergencies, particularly for children suffering from pneumonia2, is carried out in complete safety and autonomy.
"This visit enabled us to spend a privileged moment in several Unjani clinics, where we were able to exchange directly with nurses deeply committed to improving patient care. It's essential to be out in the field, to better understand the real needs, challenges and opportunities to be seized in order to strengthen the impact of the program", emphasized Oscar Lopez, Operations Manager.
Oxygen saves lives - let's make it available!