The Anambra State government has called for urgent federal legislation prohibiting the use of industrial oxygen in medical facilities across Nigeria, labeling the practice as a severe public health hazard. Commissioner for Information Dr. Law Mefor sounded the alarm during an inspection visit to the state’s oxygen production plant at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital in Awka.
Mefor expressed grave concerns over hospitals substituting medical-grade oxygen with industrial variants, which contain harmful impurities. “This reckless practice persists because we lack punitive legislation,” he stated. “Without laws prescribing severe consequences, profit-driven operators will continue endangering lives with cheaper, hazardous alternatives.” The commissioner’s push follows NAFDAC’s recent crackdown on drug market’s for peddling counterfeit medications, underscoring broader challenges in regulating medical consumables.
Anambra’s oxygen plant director, Dr. Nwamaka Arinze, corroborated these concerns, revealing that some physicians knowingly permit industrial oxygen use despite its documented risks. She highlighted disturbing industry practices where patient fatalities from oxygen contamination often go uninvestigated unless deemed “controversial,” allowing negligent practitioners to evade accountability.
The proposed ban faces implementation hurdles, as Mefor acknowledged Nigeria’s chronic enforcement deficits. His ministry plans collaborative public awareness campaigns with health agencies to educate providers and patients about oxygen safety standards. The initiative aligns with growing scrutiny of substandard medical supplies following multiple oxygen-related deaths during COVID-19 surges.
Medical experts warn that industrial oxygen’s hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide residues can cause organ damage or death when administered to patients.
