Die Ärzte für Afrika e. V.

Doctors for Africa – registered charity

Saving lives: Oxygen System for Ghana

Doctors for Africa is a registered charity whose aim is to sustainably improve medical care in Africa. One of the current projects is, for example, to increase the capacity of the oxygen system at St. Dominic´s Hospital in Akwatia/Ghana.

Giving a correct dose of oxygen to patients can make the difference between life and death. Patients with severe lung and heart conditions, newborns with a lack of oxygen and Covid 19 patients are all in need of oxygen treatment. This treatment is already possible at the missionary hospital St. Dominic´s in Akwatia/Ghana.

St. Dominic´s Hospital was founded by German nuns and was equipped to a level above the average Ghanaian hospital. It is one of the best missionary hospitals in Ghana, but in order to maintain medical care it has to rely on donations and support.

“We support the organisation Doctors for Africa as we know through experience that donations directly reach those who are in need. Therefore we have full trust in the team of volunteers which is highly committed to improving medical care for indigent people in this area.”
Eva-Maria and Peter J. Uth

The current oxygen system has long since reached the limits of its capacity. In order to secure the oxygen supply at St. Dominic´s extremely expensive oxygen tanks have had to be ordered too often – also causing transport difficulties. An extension of the oxygen system is therefore urgently required!

The charity’s engineer, Dipl.-Eng. Detmer Hasselmann, has been providing support to the missionary hospital for more than 20 years and knows the local structures extremely well. In cooperation with a European manufacturer located in Ghana Mr Hasselmann designed an extension of the system and together with the project team he is currently planning its installation.

In order that customer service can be assured and to strengthen the local infrastructure medical equipment supplies, the oxygen system will be purchased in Ghana. For the purchase it is guaranteed that no extra costs such as commission or other administrative fees will be incurred.

Due to the global issues and the geopolitical situation, the project’s progress was slowed down and delayed for half a year. In October 2022, the oxygen system was finally ordered and will arrive in the first quarter of 2023 in the mission hospital where it will be installed and put into operation by Detmar Hasselmann.

The next step: Financial independence

By purchasing the new oxygen system, the association was able to make a lot of progress in sustainably enhancing the medical care in Akwatia.

However, the association is well-aware of the fact that in the long run, they will achieve their goal in an efficient and sustainable way only if they generate their own income. Thereby, they want to be financially secured and economically independent as far as possible.

In addition to providing the hospitals’ patients with oxygen, the oxygen system has the potential to function as income source, as well. It is planned to fill oxygen from the system into bottles and sell them to other hospitals. In order to realize this step an oxygen filling station is required which the association is in dire need of donations for.

Status June 2023

After a long journey and an extensive formalities, the oxygen system arrived at its final destination to the great pleasure of all involved.

The build-up is currently taking place at the St Dominic Hospital and everyone is looking forward to putting the system into operation. The experienced technician Detmer Hasselmann, who will carry out the start-up, will be on his way to Akwatia very soon.

On this page, we will keep you updated with information and current image material: Please feel free to stop by every now and again!

Erhard Rübsam: Managing Board Member and Project Leader “Oxygen System for Akwatia”

If you have an questions regarding this project, or you would like to support it, please contact Mr Rübsam Send an e-mail

The work on the extension of the oxygen system is planned for the second quarter of 2022. On this website we will keep you up-to-date with current news and photos: Just drop by from time to time!