Nepal receives 982 oxygen concentrators towards a stronger response to pandemic

Nepal received 982 units of 10-liter oxygen concentrators, financed by the World Bank today.

The concentrators are part of a long-term solution for augmenting Nepal’s capacities to supply therapeutic oxygen to public health facilities towards a stronger response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I am very pleased that we have been able to quickly bring in the oxygen concentrators, which will be dispatched to health facilities of greatest need across all seven provinces of the country,” minister of Health and Population Sher Bahadur Tamang said, adding that the government is working hard to strengthen availability of medical oxygen in all the public health facilities of Nepal, such that every Nepali citizen requiring oxygen is able to access it.

The oxygen concentrators were procured through UNOPS under the World Bank-financed Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project, which has also financed seven oxygen generation plants, one for each province in Nepal. These plants will be brought in, installed and operationalised by UNOPS in a phased manner in seven provincial hospitals, in the next 6-15 weeks.

The Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project is supporting the purchase and deployment of Covid-19 vaccines for prioritised Nepalis, health system strengthening towards a robust public health response to the pandemic, community engagement and risk communication, and strengthening existing digital technology-based pandemic data, surveillance and monitoring systems, according to a press note issued by the World Bank.

"The World Bank has made available $104 million to support Nepal’s immediate health response to the pandemic, including the procurement of life-saving Covid-19 vaccines, and strengthening the country’s health systems and preparedness,” World Bank country director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka Faris Hadad-Zervos said, adding that the World Bank is committed to support Nepal and Nepalis during this crisis, and by joining forces with the government and development partners, "we have been able to have more impact."

India hands over Rs 1.6 billion for reconstruction

The Indian government today handed over Rs 1.6 billion to the Nepal government as reimbursement of part payment of the first and second tranches of reconstruction to 50,000 housing beneficiaries in Nuwakot and Gorkha districts.
Indian ambassador to Nepal Manjiv Singh Puri handed over a cheque to finance secretary Rajan Khanal in the presence of finance minister Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada at a programme organised in the capital. 
India has so far reimbursed a total of Rs 4.5 billion to Nepal, according to a press release issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu. “The Indian government has partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for providing socio-technical facilitation to beneficiaries to ensure rebuilding of houses according to the Government of Nepal’s earthquake resilient norms.”
Khanal – after receiving the cheque – expressed appreciation towards the Government of India for India’s sustained and generous humanitarian support extended in post-earthquake reconstruction.
On the occasion, the Indian Ambassador expressed his gratitude to the Nepal Government for the partnership and assured that India will remain committed to the completion of Nepal’s earthquake reconstruction activity.
Earlier in February 2016, Nepal and India also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) worth $100 million for the reconstruction of 50,000 private houses in the aforementioned districts.