Australian ambassador hands over oxygen plant to Green Pasture Hospital

Australia’s ambassador to Nepal Felicity Volk, Gandaki Province Health Secretary Dr Shreeram Tiwari and International Nepal Fellowship Nepal (INF Nepal) chairperson Ram Chandra Timothy today jointly inaugurated an Oxygen Concentration Plant at the Green Pasture Hospital in Pokhara.

The Australian Government, through INF Nepal, established the plant at the cost of Rs 14 million, according to a press release issued by the Australian Embassy in Kathmandu.

“The handover of the oxygen plant coincides with celebration of 70 years of INF operations in Nepal,” addressing the inauguration ceremony ambassador Volk said, adding that INF have made a significant contribution in rural communities through the provision of health care services, livelihood interventions and promoting social inclusion. “With Covid-19, we have seen health systems under immense strain>

The establishment of the plant under the Australian Government’s Covid-19 Development Response Plan (DRP) will strengthen Green Pasture Hospital’s health services and serve as a reminder of the close friendship over six decades, between Nepal and Australia, she added.

In June 2021, the Australian government provided 7 million Australian dollar to non-government organisations (NGOs) including INF Nepal to boost Nepal’s ability to respond to Covid-19, including through the procurement of essential equipment and health supplies for hospitals and personal protective equipment for health workers.

The newly established plant will ensure a reliable and direct supply of medical oxygen in all regular and crisis situations, the press note claims, adding that the dual plant design provides five cubic meter per hour of oxygen, which is directly connected to a newly constructed pipeline system that delivers oxygen to every bed, ward and operating room in the hospital. “In crisis situations, oxygen output can be doubled by running both plants simultaneously.

The inauguration was attended chairperson of Pokhara Metropolitan City-13 Toran Baniya, INF Nepal executive director Krishna Adhikari and GPH Hospital director Dr Arun Kumar Budha.