Samoa’s main hospital was
running low on oxygen supplies earlier this week, which
reportedly resulted in the cancellation of surgeries,
including those for breast cancer and kidney
conditions.
According to the Samoa Observer,
patients “awaiting critical surgeries” at Tupua Tamasese
Meaole Hospital (also known as Moto’otua Hospital) were
demanding answers from health authorities.
The
newspaper reported that patients it spoke to were alerted by
hospital staff just before they were scheduled to undergo
their operations that there were insufficient oxygen
supplies.
However, a staff member from Samoa’s Health
Ministry told RNZ Pacific on Thursday that the issue had
been resolved after “lots of [oxygen] supplies” arrived from
neighbouring American Samoa aboard a Samoa Police patrol
vessel on Wednesday night.
The ministry staff member
said that Moto’otua Hospital had oxygen supplies, “but not
enough”.
The staffer reassured the public that “we are
OK” and that there was no need for concern among Samoans
undergoing surgery.
Eseta Faalogo, whose kidney
surgery was cancelled, told the Samoa Observer that
she wanted to know when the procedure would go
ahead.
“We understand that these situations can
happen, but patients need information,” Faalogo was quoted
as saying by the
newspaper.
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