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.
