US Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman and Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan at the event on June 12
The Bach Mai oxygen system is the largest of 13 such systems being provided by USAID to health care facilities across Vietnam to support the care of patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Beyond COVID-19, strengthening access to oxygen can improve outcomes for newborns in respiratory distress; children with pneumonia, sepsis, and/or congenital heart disease; adults with tuberculosis; and beyond.
Speaking at the event, US Deputy Secretary Sherman said that this new liquid oxygen system would significantly improve critical care capacity in Hanoi at one of Vietnam’s largest hospitals.
The new liquid oxygen system consists of an on-site storage tank, with two vaporizers to convert liquid oxygen in the tank to gaseous oxygen, and a pressure regulator, which will be connected to the hospital’s piping to transport the oxygen to patients’ bedsides. It will provide a source of medical oxygen for up to 1,000 patients per day at the hospital.
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. The installation of the new system at Bach Mai is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.
