Baabda hospital unveils one of 7 new oxygen generation plants across Lebanon

Oxygen generation plant

9 July 2024, Beirut, Lebanon – Baabda Governmental University Hospital has officially launched its oxygen generation plant – one of 7 plants newly set up by WHO Lebanon in public hospitals.(Source: https://www.emro.who.int/lbn/lebanon-news/baabda-hospital-unveils-one-of-7-new-oxygen-generation-plants-across-lebanon.html) The new facility highlights the importance of self-sufficient oxygen production to improve patient care and manage medical emergencies.

The launch of the new pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen generation plant, a significant addition to Lebanon's health infrastructure, took place on 26 June 2024. The Minister of Public Health, German Ambassador to Lebanon and WHO Representative to Lebanon were present.

PSA oxygen generation plants provide high-quality, medical-grade oxygen, which is a critical medicine required at all levels of health care. Lebanon's severe crisis, with deteriorating socioeconomic conditions, inflation, and currency devaluation, has caused oxygen costs to skyrocket and availability to decline over recent years.

Both the local oxygen producers had resorted to rationing supplies owing to power and fuel shortages, creating challenges for hospitals in Lebanon.Installing PSA oxygen generation plants tailored to hospital needs became crucial during the COVID-19 emergency to enhance hospitals'capacity to treat severe cases.WHO took the initiative to support hospitals by establishing the 7 new oxygen plants across the country.

Along with vaccines, oxygen has saved millions of lives globally during the COVID-19 pandemic, which shows the value of oxygen in reducing hospital deaths, among adults and children alike.

As Dr Abdinasir Abubakar, acting WHO Representative to Lebanon, concluded at the launch: “Oxygen is a life-saving treatment with no substitute, and it is essential for treating respiratory illnesses, like COVID-19 and pneumonia, and also in surgery and trauma care. In Lebanon, one of the priorities of the United Nations strategy for the humanitarian–development–peace nexus approach is to ensure that hospitals have sufficient infrastructure to provide adequate, affordable and sustainable oxygen. In line with this, WHO has remained committed to promoting the provision of oxygen in all referral hospitals.