The US Agency for International Development (USAID), has just announced liquid oxygen systems for 10 additional Vietnamese hospitals.
According to USAID/Vietnam Mission Director Aler Grubbs, they are now providing 23 hospitals in Vietnam with liquid oxygen systems.
“The 13 newly installed liquid oxygen systems significantly improve critical health care in five provinces," he said. "We will provide Vietnam with 10 more such systems over the coming year in six more provinces—to further strengthen the nation’s health care system and save lives.”
In Vietnam, on-site oxygen storage at smaller and provincial hospitals is rare, necessitating dependence on regular oxygen deliveries. However, oxygen can run out in times of surge demand, as happened during waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitals have an urgent need for a reliable supply of oxygen.
USAID provides liquid oxygen systems with an on-site storage tank, vaporizer to convert liquid oxygen in the tank to gaseous oxygen, and a pressure regulator, which is connected to the hospital’s piping to transport the oxygen to patients’ bedsides. USAID is also providing related staff training, equipment, and supplies to administer the oxygen, such as high-flow nasal tubing and patient monitors, which allow hospital staff to efficiently track patients’ vital signs and quickly respond to changes in patient conditions. USAID’s installation of the 23 liquid oxygen systems and related support, valued at $7.5 million, helps Vietnam’s hospitals to provide thousands of additional patients with a reliable supply of medical oxygen.