Each oxygen station has the capacity to fill 200 oxygen cylinders per day, helping to fill the gap of the inpatient and intensive care units in Al Thawra Hospital

To support the functionality of Al Thawra Hospital’s emergency sections, WHO has installed an oxygen station in the facility, and equipped the intensive care unit with medical equipment. 

2 July 2019, Sana’a, Yemen – Mohammed Abdullah, 13, sits in the intensive care unit of Al Thawra Hospital, the biggest referral hospital in Yemen’s capital Sana’a. “He was feeling well a few days ago, but all of a sudden, he felt pain in his chest and back and started vomiting vigorously,” says his mother.

Mohamed was rushed to a private hospital near his home, but was given medications that did not help. As his condition deteriorated, he was brought to Al Thawra Hospital, where he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare disorder in which the body's immune system attacks the nerves and causes numbness, weakness and pain in the feet hands and limbs.

In the bed next to Mohammed sits Maryam Ahmed, an elderly woman suffering from renal tubular acidosis, a disease that occurs when the kidneys fail to excrete acids into the urine, causing a person's blood to remain too acidic. “I’m dying,” she says with despair. A nurse reassures her that she will be cared for.

The intensive care unit of Al Thawra Hospital, where patients like Mohamed and Maryam are diagnosed and treated, was supported by WHO in response to the growing demand. The hospital receives almost 2500 patients every day from many governorates across the country.  WHO support includes the provision of 11 beds for the intensive care unit, central washing machines and 350-litre sterilization machines.

Patient in Al Thawra hospital receives treatment. The oxygen supply newly provided to the intensive unit where he is being treated is crucial to saving his life

“Many cases are admitted in a critical condition and are forced to stay in the hospital for weeks. In addition to the medical equipment provided by WHO, the life-saving supply of oxygen provided through the oxygen station plays a vital role for the functionality of the intensive care unit,” says Najeeb Al Shamy, maintenance manager and organizations coordinator at the hospital. 

The oxygen station project, funded by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre and United Arab Emirates, includes a total of 11 oxygen stations that have been distributed to 11 hospitals in 11 governorates, supporting inpatient and intensive care.

WHO’s support to Al Thawra Hospital is part of a larger response plan that covers main hospitals and health facilities across the country through the provision of medical supplies, equipment, and health staff incentives. Seventy-three per cent (73%) of all hospitals in Yemen are able to keep their doors open through support from WHO through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre and United Arab Emirates, providing access to essential health services to 9.3 million people across the country.