Stanton Territorial Hospital has tripled the amount of oxygen that can be delivered to patients.
It’s a big deal.
The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA) said Oct. 15 that an oxygen concentrator that looks more like a sea can than a piece of medical equipment is being installed at the Yellowknife facility.
Technicians are marrying the new technology to the hospital’s systems now. The new Mobile Health Unit as it’s called will increase the amount of oxygen that can be deployed in the building “by a factor of at least three.”
The NTHSSA wants the hospital to be better prepared for current and future Covid-19 related admissions. The authority said in September the oxygen system had come under strain as one of the standard treatments for Covid-19 patients shifted from a traditional mechanical ventilator to a device that is less invasive, but uses three times as much oxygen.
Bedside oxygen tanks and other oxygen concentrators have been deployed. According to the Department of Health, 55 people have been hospitalized and 17 admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) since the advent of the pandemic. Nine NWT residents have died as a result of Covid-19.
The new system will create noise while it is present and running at the hospital. There may be increased traffic around Stanton caused by the installation.