Medical oxygen plants for county hospitals: what procurement teams should know

Reliable oxygen supply is life-critical. Many hospitals in Kenya and across Africa still depend on cylinder deliveries, which can be costly and vulnerable to delays. An on-site PSA (pressure swing adsorption) oxygen generator plant produces medical-grade oxygen from air, on demand.

We delivered a complete plant for Homa Bay County Referral Hospital: around 40 patient outlet points serving eight wards and a theatre with continuous oxygen flow.

1. Size the plant for real demand

Capacity is calculated from the number of beds and outlets, the mix of wards (ICU and theatre use far more than general wards) and expected peak demand. Undersizing is the most common and most dangerous mistake.

2. Purity and standards

Medical oxygen from PSA plants is typically 93 % ± 3 %. Plants should include oxygen analysers with alarms, and be designed and tested to recognised medical gas standards.

3. The piping network matters as much as the plant

• Medical-grade copper pipework, properly cleaned and pressure-tested
• Area valve service units so sections can be isolated safely
• Alarm panels at nurses’ stations for pressure faults
• Clearly labelled outlets at each bed

4. Backup supply

A cylinder manifold with automatic changeover ensures supply continues during maintenance or power failure. Pair the plant with suitably sized generator backup.

5. Training and maintenance

Hospital technicians should be trained on daily checks. A planned maintenance contract covers compressor servicing, filter and sieve-bed replacement and analyser calibration.

Working with county governments

We have delivered projects for Narok, Homa Bay and Migori counties, and understand public procurement documentation, site coordination and commissioning requirements.

Planning a medical gas project? Contact our healthcare systems team for a needs assessment.