Breath of hope: How oxygen is saving Turkmenistan’s babies

“It’s an incredible feeling to watch a tiny baby take their first breaths without a machine,” says Guljemal Jemmiyeva, anesthesiologist and resuscitator at the neonatal intensive care unit of Mother and Child Health Centre in Dashoguz, Turkmenistan. 

Until recently, oxygen for the hospital had to be delivered from outside. Staff had to be diverted to arrange transport and to move heavy cylinders – a process that could cause delays in oxygen supply, meaning the difference between life and death for patients. 

In 2024, this changed: a new oxygen station was installed with the support of UNICEF and the Ministry of Health. 

“For the first time, oxygen flows reliably and continuously into our wards. Newborns and babies under one year now receive oxygen the moment they need it, regardless of the hour or their diagnosis,” says Guljemal.

The impact was biggest for premature babies with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), she says. Now, thanks to uninterrupted oxygen, staff can use non-invasive SIPAP therapy instead of invasive mechanical ventilation. 

“It’s less risky for the baby. We see them recover faster, moving to breathing on their own much sooner,” she says. 

More than 1,500 children each year, including those with disabilities, spinal injuries, chronic lung conditions and severe respiratory illnesses, now have reliable access to oxygen. 

One little boy with a severe spinal injury has been under the care of Ashgabat’s Mother and Child Health Centre for three years.

“He has required over 32,000 litres of oxygen. Before this station, keeping up with his needs would have been almost impossible,” says Dr. Jeren Orazova, a physician in the Centre’s pediatric intensive care unit. “Now we can plan his care and know that his oxygen supply will not fail.” 

UNICEF also supplied the centers with laryngoscope kits and infant nasal cannulas, and provided specialized training for health workers. The trainings taught staff how to safely provide oxygen, adjust flow rates for tiny lungs, monitor patients using pulse oximetry, and properly maintain oxygen equipment. This education has been transformative, both physicians say. 

“Oxygen is life,” says Guljemal. “Now, when a baby is struggling to breathe, I know we have what we need. Our children can breathe easier, and so can we.”