NNA - In the presence of the Minister of Public Health, the German Ambassador in Lebanon and WHO representative in Lebanon, the Baabda Governmental University Hospital inaugurated today the Oxygen Generator Plant which is one of seven plants newly established by WHO Lebanon in public hospitals across the country and funded by German Government through KfW.
The launching of the new Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen generating plant marks a significant milestone in Lebanon's healthcare infrastructure and highlights the importance of self-sufficient oxygen production in improving patient care and managing medical emergencies.
Health Minister Dr Firass Abiad, talked about the importance of the oxygen plant project at Baabda University Hospital and the readiness of the Ministry in light of the Israeli aggression against Lebanon, which targets children, women and the elderly. “We as a government call for an immediate end to all these attacks, but on the other hand, we as the Ministry of Health are interested in ensuring that all hospitals are fully prepared, especially in terms of securing energy and oxygen. I would like to announce that more than 15 public hospitals have been provided with solar power and oxygen for more than 12 public hospitals, which are some of the largest hospitals.”
In close cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health and with generous funds from the German government through KfW Development Bank, this project enhanced hospitals’ readiness and self-sufficiency in producing medical oxygen. This is part of WHO’s global strategy for health system readiness in times of crisis.
The German ambassador, Kurt Georg Stöckl-Stillfried, said, “I am pleased to note that Germany has contributed to concrete and tangible improvements in public healthcare in Lebanon. An estimated 75,000 patients every year will benefit from medical oxygen. We have also contributed to equipping 150 Primary Health Care Centres with solar panels and supported staff in intensive care units of governmental hospitals. All these measures have been part of a project worth 40.5 M. Euros financed by the German Government through KfW Development Bank and implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health, WHO and others.”
Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen generating plants provide oxygen which is a critical medicine required at all levels of healthcare, needing high-quality, medical-grade standards. Lebanon faces a severe crisis with deteriorating socio-economic conditions, inflation, and currency devaluation, causing oxygen costs to skyrocket and availability to decline. The two local oxygen producers were rationing due to power and fuel shortages. This created a challenge for hospitals across the country, therefore, installing PSA oxygen plants tailored to hospital needs, was crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance hospitals’ capacity to treat severe patients which encouraged WHO to take the initiative to support hospitals with the establishment of seven oxygen plants in the country. Furthermore, oxygen saved millions of lives during the COVID pandemic, along with the vaccine, and this demonstrates the value of oxygen in reducing hospital deaths among adults and children.
“Oxygen is a life-saving treatment with no substitution, and its essential to treat respiratory illnesses like COVID-19 and pneumonia, but also surgery and trauma. In Lebanon, one of the priorities of the UN strategy for the humanitarian peace nexus approach is to ensure that hospitals have sufficient infrastructure to provide adequate, affordable, and sustainable oxygen. In line of that, WHO remained committed to promoting the provision of oxygen in all referral hospitals. As a result, WHO established PSA plants in seven public hospitals with the assistance of KfW development bank”, concluded Dr Abdinasir Abubakar, acting WHO representative. — UNIC
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