By Thaimu T Kamara
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has donated a multi-patient oxygen generator to the Julius Maada Bio Paediatric Centre of Excellence (JMBPCE) in Freetown, in a move aimed at strengthening emergency and critical care services for children.
The donation was made on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, as the hospital prepares to increase its bed capacity and expand the utilisation of its services.
The new oxygen generator produces 30 litres of oxygen per minute and has the capacity to support up to 10 patients simultaneously. The equipment is expected to significantly improve oxygen availability in the hospital’s Emergency Room, where critically ill children frequently require immediate oxygen therapy.
Unlike the use of several smaller oxygen concentrators, the multi-patient generator can provide oxygen to multiple patients from a single unit. This is expected to simplify maintenance, improve operational efficiency and ensure a more reliable supply of oxygen during emergencies.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Dr. Dinsie Williams, Biomedical Engineering Consultant at the Directorate of Hospital and Ambulance Services, expressed appreciation to MSF for its continued support to healthcare facilities across Sierra Leone.
Dr. Williams said the donation formed part of MSF’s wider contribution towards improving oxygen availability in health facilities. She explained that medical equipment received by the hospital is subjected to functional testing before being put into operation to ensure that it is safe, reliable and fit for purpose.
She further noted that one multi-patient oxygen generator has the potential to replace approximately four conventional oxygen concentrators, making the donated equipment an important addition to the hospital’s emergency care capacity.
Representing MSF at the ceremony, Agnes Dama, MSF Country Director and Medical Coordinator, expressed satisfaction that the equipment had arrived safely and was confirmed to be in good working condition.
Ms. Dama reaffirmed MSF’s commitment to supporting JMBPCE and other health facilities in Sierra Leone, particularly in areas related to emergency and critical care.
She noted that MSF has previously provided support to JMBPCE, as well as the oxygen plant and Intensive Care Unit at Connaught Hospital. According to her, the organisation recently supplied spare parts for the Connaught Hospital oxygen plant as part of its continued support to strengthen oxygen systems in the country.
Ms. Dama also assured the hospital of MSF’s readiness to provide further assistance when needs arise under the organisation’s emergency support plan.
The Medical Superintendent of JMBPCE, Dr. Ayeshatu Mustapha, thanked MSF for the donation, describing the equipment as a valuable contribution to the hospital’s efforts to improve care for critically ill children.
Dr. Mustapha, however, appealed for additional oxygen generators as the hospital prepares to expand its services by bringing another unit with 40 additional beds into operation.
She explained that the expansion follows instructions from the Ministry of Health leadership to increase the hospital’s service capacity in response to growing healthcare needs.
In response to the appeal, Ms. Dama said MSF would assess the hospital’s remaining oxygen requirements and explore the possibility of providing an additional generator to support the units scheduled to become operational.
The latest donation comes at a time when JMBPCE is working to strengthen its capacity to provide specialised paediatric services, particularly for children requiring urgent and critical care.
Hospital authorities said reliable access to oxygen remains essential in the management of critically ill children, making the new equipment an important addition to the facility’s emergency response capacity.
The handover also highlights the continued collaboration between the Ministry of Health and development partners in strengthening Sierra Leone’s healthcare system.
With the additional oxygen-generating capacity, the JMB Paediatric Centre of Excellence is expected to be better positioned to provide timely oxygen therapy to children requiring emergency treatment while preparing for the planned expansion of its bed capacity.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday, 24th August 2026 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
