The Foundation for African Medicine and Education (FAME) operates a not-for-profit clinic and hospital in Karatu, a rural district in Tanzania. The hospital has 14 inpatient beds, two operating rooms, a laboratory and a 24/7 emergency room. The hospital also has a 10-bed isolation ward for COVID patients and a 24-bed maternity ward.

Several months ago, Hypo Source approached FAME about purchasing the Hypo 7.5 hypochlorous acid machine. Egbert Chogo, the hospital's pharmacist, lead the effort to integrate HOCl in the hospital. 

Prior to switching to hypochlorous acid, the hospital cleaning staff was primarily using JIK, a local brand of bleach (3.5% strength), which cost about $0.85 per liter.  Because of the increased patient load and sanitation concerns brought on by Covid 19, the hospital was using about 100 liters of Jik or about 700 liters of dilute bleach solution each week.  In other words, they were spending about $85 per week on bleach.  This included bleach used in the cleaning solutions as well as for general sanitation. 

Egbert said that during the first wave of the pandemic, the hospital experienced difficulties in procuring bleach due to supply chain shortages. Even after the supply chain had stabilized, the prices of bleach remained high due to increased demand. But with the Hypo 7.5, Egbert and his team can now make 7.5 liters of hypochlorous in 8 minutes at a cost of about $0.02 USD per liter.

After reviewing cleaning protocols, Egbert reports that they are now using 500 liters of hypochlorous per week. At 2 cents per liter, the hypochlorous costs about $10 per week, compared to the $85 they were spending for Jik. In other words, an 800% cost reduction.

Now, the hospital uses hypochlorous produced onsite in the Hypo 7.5 each day to disinfect all areas after they have been given a preliminary cleaning with soap and water. The raw materials for the hypochlorous are easy to find, protecting the hospital against future supply chain disruptions. Bleach is now only used to whiten hospital linens. 

Switching the hospital's cleaning protocols from bleach to hypochlorous wasn't difficult, Egbert said, but it took some time for the staff to become accustomed to the new cleaning procedures and reduced disinfectant use. He hopes to introduce the hospital to using hypochlorous for wound care in the future, once staff have had a chance to get more familiar with the machine.

FAME Hospital is a great example of why we designed the Hypo 7.5. Our vision for this machine was to give clinics and hospitals, particularly in rural areas or with vulnerable populations, the ability to increase their self-sufficiency and improve sanitation conditions. We look forward to seeing the progress of Egbert Chogo and FAME!