Introduction
Kirinyaga County previously spent millions of shillings annually on outsourced oxygen cylinders for Kerugoya County Referral Hospital, yet frequent stock-outs and supply interruptions were common. This costly and unreliable system not only threatened the quality of emergency, surgical, and neonatal care but also placed sustained pressure on the County health budget, limiting resources for other critical priorities.
Patients requiring oxygen therapy, particularly critically ill adults, neonates, and surgical cases, were most affected, while health workers were constrained in delivering timely and effective care. Amref Health Africa (2025) reports that, nationally, only a small proportion of facilities have on-site oxygen generation, forcing many counties to depend on costly and inconsistently available cylinder deliveries, especially outside major urban centers.
During health crises, cylinder refill prices have historically tripled, rising from KES 2,500 to over KES 6,000 (Breaking Kenya News, 2021). In public referral hospitals, a patient on low-flow oxygen may require 2–3 cylinders per day (KES 5,000–18,000), while high-flow cases can cost KES 10,000–30,000 daily. Even one hour of therapy can cost KES 200–500, illustrating the financial burden for both patients and the County health system.
These challenges highlight the urgent need for sustainable, self-reliant oxygen solutions at the County level, underscoring the need for the intervention at Kerugoya County Referral Hospital.
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