US donates oxygen plant to Ghana Infectious Disease Centre

The US government, through the USAID, has donated an oxygen plant to support Ghana's COVID-19 pandemic response at the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre at the Ga East Municipal hospital.

The equipment is also expected to strengthen Ghana's overall health system.

Air contains 21% Oxygen, 78% Nitrogen, 0.9% Argon and 0.1% other trace gases. The work of an Oxygen generator is to separate this oxygen from Compressed Air through a unique process called Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA).

The Pressure Swing Adsorption process for the generation of enriched oxygen gas from ambient air utilizes the ability of a synthetic Zeolite Molecular Sieve to absorb mainly nitrogen.

While nitrogen concentrates in the pore system of the Zeolite, Oxygen Gas is produced as a product.

According to the USA Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie Sullivan, three more of such plants would be donated to the Cape Coast Municipal Hospital, Kumasi South and Tamale West hospitals before the end of September.

“This oxygen equipment can treat more than 180 severe and critical Covid-19 patients at a time. This package of oxygen includes not only equipment but also supplies like oxygen cylinders along with training for health staff and engineers in the use and maintenance of the equipment”, she added.

Speaking on behalf of deputy Health Minister, Mahama Asei, a representative of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Nicholas Adjabu thanked the US government for the donation.

“Managing Covid-19 without oxygen and what under normal circumstances you could easily deal with using the portable oxygen concentrators, for COVID-19, those are found to be ineffective, and therefore we have to ensure that we increase the supply of oxygen. Therefore, this gesture is coming to a point when we really need it”, he said.