Inauguration of UNDP installed Oxygen Plant at the Sheikh Zaid Bin Khalifa Hospital in Quetta, Balochistan

25 April 2024 - Quetta: The Chief Minister of Balochistan, H.E. Mr. Sarfaraz Bugti inaugurated the Oxygen Plant installed by UNDP at the Sheikh Zayed Bin Khalifa Hospital in Quetta, Balochistan. The inauguration was attended by Ms. Kanni Wignaraja, Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator, and Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific at UNDP, and Dr. Samuel Rizk, Resident Representative of UNDP Pakistan.

The Plant functions on the Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) technology and is funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The installation is part of a larger project to equip 36 hospitals across Pakistan with PSA-based oxygen plants. The initiative is a response to the Covid-19 pandemic which resulted in more than 25,000 deaths In Pakistan. The PSA plant will play a critical role in ensuring reliable supply of medical oxygen in the target hospitals, reducing dependence on external vendors for the provision of the same, and improving the overall capacities of health facilities.

During the pandemic, Pakistan witnessed a massive number of confirmed COVID-19 affected cases between February 2020 and January 2022. As a result, the public health system struggled to function and meeting the demand of oxygen became a critical challenge. The Common Management Unit (CMU) of the Ministry of Health, approached UNDP to support the procurement and installation of 36 oxygen generation PSA plants across the country, funded by the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria. The project covered site assessments, procurements, delivery, installation, training, and maintenance. These oxygen generation plants aim to enhance the capacity of public hospitals to cope with the demand for high purity oxygen.

Speaking at the inauguration, the Chief Minister of Balochistan, Mr. Sarfaraz Bugti stated that the PSA Plant is a promising step towards improving health sector service delivery in Balochistan and forms a critical component of the Government's ongoing efforts to improve medical facilities in the province. He praised the Government of Pakistan's partnership with UNDP as a successful model of international development cooperation and commended staff from both institutions for introducing cutting-edge and internationally tested technologies to improve health services in Balochistan.

Ms. Wignaraja congratulated the Government of Balochistan on the successful installation of the PSA Plant in Quetta. She further stated that the plant will reduce reliance on externally procured oxygen and boost the hospital's capacity to respond to emergency cases. Dr. Samuel Rizk, the UNDP Pakistan Resident Representative informed that the intervention is part of a larger package of support for the health sector in Balochistan that also includes renovation of hospitals and provision of essential medical equipment in eight districts of the province and emphasized UNDP's commitment to continue the collaboration with the Government of Balochistan.

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