W Cape health's maintenance team punches above its weight - repairs, maintains Covid-19 oxygen tanks

• A team of four, assisted by three interns, are ensuring that two Western Cape hospitals keep up with demand for oxygen.
• In December 2020, Montagu Hospital used 4 036 of these cylinders, while Robertson Hospital used 5 145.
• The Western Cape has the second highest number of deaths due to Covid-19 - sitting at 10 380, with the Eastern Cape at 10 781.

A small, but dedicated team of four maintenance workers and three interns at the Western Cape health department, is punching above its weight, ensuring that two busy public hospitals never run out of oxygen tank cylinders for Covid-19 patients.

Before Covid-19, the Western Cape health department's maintenance team in the Langeberg area, mainly assisted clinics and the two hospitals with repairs, servicing equipment and coordinating the availability of medical oxygen cylinders.

But, as the number of people hospitalised due to Covid-19 increased, so did the need for oxygen therapy.

But the John Muller-led team has proved equal to the task, maintaining and coordinating the availability of the lifesaving medical oxygen cylinders for Robertson and Montagu hospitals.

"Often when people think of a hospital they think of doctors and nurses, but they don't realise without staff like maintenance, porters, the admin teams, etc., patient care would not be possible," said Muller.

One of the most prominent tasks they see to, is ensuring that the hospitals have enough of the 10.2 kg oxygen cylinders.

In December 2020, Montagu Hospital used 4 036 of these cylinders and Robertson Hospital 5 145.

Western Cape has the second largest number of deaths due to Covid-19 sitting at 10 380, just behind the Eastern Cape's 10 781.

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the province stands at 270 073.

"With only four men in the workshop and three interns to assist, we must plan carefully to keep up with the constant demand for oxygen," said Johan Muller, who leads the maintenance team.

When noticing that the local supplier of medical oxygen could not keep up with the demand of its various clients, Muller and his team started to daily make two to three trips to the supplier in Robertson.

They fetch oxygen filled cylinders and take them to the oxygen banks at Robertson and Montagu hospitals. The oxygen banks are linked to oxygen points in the hospitals where Covid-19 patients receive oxygen therapy as part of their treatment.

Muller explained that when one oxygen bank was depleted, it automatically switched to a second oxygen bank.

The system then alerts a healthcare worker inside the hospital, who then notifies Muller's team that the next cylinders must be installed - a cycle that is repeated more or less every five to six hours around the clock.

"I am very proud of this team!" added Muller.