Oxygen station was launched at regional hospital for infectious diseases.

The third wave of the coronavirus pandemic has reached Zaporizhia region. The number of cases, as well as patients who need hospitalization, is growing rapidly. Almost all the people treated in the hospital are oxygen dependent. Therefore, medical oxygen is extremely necessary for hospitals.

A powerful oxygen station, which will provide oxygen to 104 beds, was built on the territory of Zaporizhia Regional Infectious Diseases Hospital. This medical institution was one of the first in the region to admit patients with coronavirus. The construction project was completed entirely by Zaporizhstal at its own expense. It will be recalled that the construction work on the site was performed by construction company ALD Engineering and Construction.

 Irina Kulesh, Acting Director of Regional Infectious Diseases Hospital told that sick persons received oxygen by means of concentrators before the oxygen station was build. But the effectiveness of such therapy is much lower.

 - Our hospital can accept 170 patients with coronavirus, the charging capacity is 83% now. We provided oxygen therapy by means of oxygen concentrators, but this is not the amount of oxygen needed for treatment. In addition, oxygen concentrators cannot be used to treat critically ill patients. That's why the opening of the station is a really significant event, "Iryna Kulesh told.

Two five-ton cryo cylinders have been installed on the territory of the oxygen station. A pipeline was build between cryo cylinders and the five-story hospital building. The wiring is from the 2nd to the 5th floor. Check valves are installed at the entrance of each floor.

According to Oleksandr Myronenko, General Director of Zaporizhstal, the company hasn’t built only an oxygen station, but will also provide it with oxygen free of charge.

 - As a socially responsible business, we could not stand aside from the current situation with coronavirus disease. Together with the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and Metinvest, we have provided protective equipment, test systems, and artificial lung ventilation systems since the beginning of the pandemic. Today is a significant date. Financed by us new oxygen station is fully ready to work in the regional infectious diseases hospital, - said Alexander Mironenko. - In early April, we received a license and registered our oxygen as a medicine. Therefore, this station will continuously supply oxygen to Zaporizhstal in a free cost.

Zaporizhzhya Regional Council Chairman Olena Zhuk noted that the opening of the oxygen station is a significant event not only for Zaporizhia, but for the whole region. - The opening of the oxygen station is a new step in our daily overcoming of the pandemic. As a friends and partners, Zaporizhstal and the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation lend a helping hand. I am sure that this oxygen station will save thousands of lives, "said Olena Zhuk. Oleksandr Starukh, Head of the Zaporizhzhya Regional State Administration, thanked Zaporizhstal and the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation for their fast and high-quality work and stressed that the key to victory over the disease is further joint work of the authorities, local communities and private investors.

 - The infection rate remains difficult. As never before, it is necessary to launch a new oxygen station at this time. It would be much more difficult for the authorities to solve the existing problems without socially responsible business and local communities. We thank the medical and technical staff of the hospital, as well as all those who participated in the construction of the station and gave a chance to recover hundreds of patients, - said Alexander Starukh.

The new oxygen station is equipped with an emergency control system and an emergency fire alarm system. Special training has been conducted with the employees involved into station operation.

Doctors are confident that patients will recover faster with the new equipment.

 - During the year of the pandemic, we had a lot of seriously ill patients. It's nice when they recover, it's a real holiday for all employees. I hope there will be more such happy stories now. The new oxygen station will help our patients to recover, as they will receive healing oxygen. We, the doctors, are very grateful to the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and all the people involved for the opportunity to save even more people, said Galina Glazunova, an infectious disease specialist at the Zaporizhia Regional Infectious Diseases Clinical Hospital.

Source: Industrialka

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