The United States Mission to Vietnam, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), on September 26, announced liquid oxygen systems for ten additional Vietnamese hospitals.

In total, USAID is providing 23 hospitals with liquid oxygen systems. USAID/Vietnam Mission Director Aler Grubbs, leaders from the Ministry of Health, and numerous provincial health departments gathered to celebrate the completion of USAID’s installation of liquid oxygen systems in 13 hospitals across five provinces.

“The US Government is proud to support the Government of Vietnam on its Covid-19 response and advancing health security,” said USAID/Vietnam Mission Director Grubbs.

The completed installation of 13 USAID-funded liquid oxygen systems. Photo: USAID

“The 13 newly installed liquid oxygen systems will significantly improve critical health care in five provinces. We will provide Vietnam with ten more such systems over the coming year in six more provinces to further strengthen the nation’s health care system and save lives,” he added.

The completed liquid oxygen systems help 13 hospitals to support the care of patients with severe cases of Covid-19, as well as patients suffering other respiratory ailments, such as pneumonia and tuberculosis.

This support further strengthens the long-standing health cooperation between the United States and Vietnam as the two countries approach ten years of comprehensive partnership.

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, a vaporizer to convert liquid oxygen in the tank to gaseous oxygen, and a pressure regulator connected to the hospital’s piping to transport the oxygen to patients' bedsides.

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.

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the US and Vietnam have joined to tackle this enormous public health challenge. The US contributions, including technical support, life-saving medical equipment, and more than 40 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, have helped Vietnam’s remarkable response to this global challenge.

USAID also provides 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.