Mchinji Chief Clinical Officer, Mr Lapken Gogoda, has emphasized the need of conducting blood glucose and oxygen saturation measurements as it helps in identification of critical conditions of the children

He made the remarks in Mchinji district during a capacity building training organized by Parent and Child Health Initiative (PACHI) through E-REMISS project.

“So, this helps clinicians examine levels of oxygen in the blood which leads into classification of cases. It is therefore imperative that that these measurements should be done whenever a child is being referred from one facility to another”, he said.

Mr Gogoda making a presentation on blood glucose measurement

The district project coordinator Beatiwel Zadutsa says: “Hypoxemia and hypoglycemia kills but can easily be treated if noted earlier. This is a reason why we urge health workers to conduct these tests”.

One of the participants Siphiwe Nyamasauka commended PACHI for organizing the training.

“Through this training PACHI has equipped us with skills on how to conduct these tests. We have also managed to get a better understanding of the causes of hypoxemia and hypoglycemia” she said

Practicals on oxygen saturation and heart rate measurements

PACHI is conducting E-remiss study which aims to investigate the association between having emergency and danger signs in children at health centers, and referral decision making by healthcare providers and caregivers.