Training on oxygen technologies relevant to COVID-19 response

Medical devices play a key role in the health care system. The quality of health services is impacted by the understanding and use of appropriate medical devices and health care technologies. This necessitates having a pool of skilled and well-trained users and technicians/service engineers who can without losing time, press into action the right device and monitor its performance on the patient. While all devices are essential, those related to oxygen and respiratory care systems came under the spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic when health care facilities were overwhelmed, and patients were being brought into the facilities in conditions of respiratory distress. The smallest misstep with respect to the functioning of the oxygen device could lead to life threatening complications.

In consultation with WHO’s regional offices, WHO HQ conducted a training for biomedical engineers and professionals working in the oxygen ecosystem management field. The focus of the training was to make them competent to support WHO’s regional/country offices and Member States with respect to oxygen producing, storing and delivery devices, medical gas pipeline systems, and safety majors that need attention. The Consultant Biomedical Engineer from the WHO’s Health Emergency Programme (WHE) at WHO-SEARO, participated in this training.

The training was conducted in two parts. The first part pertained to the General Medical Gas Systems and the second part focused on skills which the medical gas qualified operator must be equipped with. These were online trainings comprising different modules that covered basic manufacturing, packaging of medical gases, cylinder content identification, pressure, and flow regulation. At the end of the training participants managed to improve their knowledge on medical gas terminology, clinical applications of medical gases and medical gases in acute care. The training for the medical gas qualified operator guided trainees on correctly installing and administering medical gas systems. Practical examples from recent real-world incidents/accidents due to bad practices in medical gas system were used in the training with hypothetical scenarios enumerated.

WHO, HQ is currently developing training videos for medical devices relevant to the COVID-19 response with support of clinical and biomedical engineers, medical doctors and respiratory therapists around the world. Some of these training videos are already published on the WHO website (Trainings (who.int)) which are part of a large pool of training tools/videos that will be available later this year. Training materials were developed for all staff working on oxygen/respiratory care systems and they covered aspects related to environment building, processes, SoPs, safe use of equipment and its handling, preventive maintenance, sterilization of devices, safety majors and precaution etc.

The Infectious Hazard Management (IHM) unit of the WHO’s Health Emergency (WHE) department at WHO-SEARO is also in the process of developing general regional training materials to train hospital staff on oxygen/respiratory care systems (environment building, processes, Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs), equipment and equipment handling). In this regard general guidelines on developing training materials for user training (to nurses, doctors/clinicians, and biomedical personnel) have been developed and will soon be operationalized to roll-out training in the Region. The IHM unit is also analyzing existing data with the goal of improving oxygen/respiratory care systems at facility, district/provincial/regional and country levels from the biomedical perspective. These inputs will be useful for strengthening health system response to COVID-19, especially with respect to oxygen and respiratory care needs for severe COVID-19 patients