Medical oxygen ecosystem capacity assessment for the Democratic Republic of the Congo
PATH, in collaboration with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ministry of Health, conducted a biomedical equipment survey in health facilities in DRC from November 2023 through December 2023.
This report analyzes data collected through facility assessments from 340 health facilities in 26 provinces across DRC to provide a snapshot of their medical oxygen ecosystem. The purpose of this work is to quantify existing oxygen delivery and production equipment, consumables for administering oxygen therapy, bed capacity, and facility infrastructure characteristics. The survey included a mix of public and private health facilities of multiple levels, including provincial (HPR), secondary (HGR), and tertiary hospitals (university).
The results demonstrate that the availability of oxygen services and respiratory care equipment is highly variable in health facilities in DRC. Pulse oximeters were entirely absent in 34% of facilities. The limited quantity of small equipment and delivery devices, such as flowmeters and cannulas, also varies considerably in availability and constrains the accessibility of available oxygen supply to patients.
Publication date: November 2024