KATHMANDU, JULY 11
Australia's Ambassador to Nepal Felicity Volk, Gandaki Province Health Secretary Dr Shreeram Tiwari, and International Nepal Fellowship Nepal Chairperson Ram Chandra Timothy jointly inaugurated an Oxygen Concentration Plant at Green Pasture Hospital, Pokhara.
The Australian Government, through INF Nepal had established the plant at a cost of Rs 14 million.
Addressing the inauguration, Ambassador Volk said, "The handover of the oxygen plant coincides with the celebration of 70 years of INF operations in Nepal. INF has made significant contribution to the rural communities through provision of health care services, livelihood interventions and promotion of social inclusion."
"With COVID-19, we have seen health systems under immense strain. The establishment of this plant under the Australian Government's COVID-19 Development Response Plan will strengthen health services provided by Green Pasture Hospital and serve as a reminder of the close friendship of over six decades between Nepal and Australia."
In June 2021, the Australian Government provided AUD 7 million to the NGOs, including INF Nepal, to boost Nepal's ability to respond to COVID-19 through the procurement of essential equipment and health supplies for hospitals and personal protective equipment for health workers.
According to the Australian Embassy, the newly-established plant will ensure reliable and direct supply of medical oxygen in all regular and crisis situations. The dual plant design provides oxygen at the rate of five cubic metres per hour, which is directly connected to a newly-constructed pipeline system that delivers oxygen to every bed, ward and operating room in the hospital.
In a crisis situation, oxygen output can be doubled by running both the plants simultaneously.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 12, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
