For Immediate Release
Press Release
BINH DUONG, June 3, 2022 – Today at Binh Duong Provincial General Hospital, Consul General Marie Damour joined provincial government and public health leaders to celebrate the launch of a new liquid oxygen system provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The Binh Duong system is one of 13 USAID-funded liquid oxygen systems being installed at health care facilities across Vietnam to strengthen critical care capacity and save lives, and the largest such system being installed in the south.
“The improvements we make now are critical as we prepare for future potential health threats,” said Consul General Damour. “This system, and similar ones at 12 other sites across the country, will help sustain access to medical oxygen for hundreds of patients each day. It will support this facility to serve as a hub for COVID-19 and other infectious disease care in one of Vietnam’s most populous provinces.”
The new liquid oxygen system consists of an on-site storage tank and high-pressure piping to transport the oxygen to patients’ bedsides. It provides a safe and reliable source of medical oxygen for up to 150 patients per day at the hospital. USAID is also providing related staff training and equipment 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.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the people of the United States and the U.S. Government have joined hands with the people and Government of Vietnam to tackle one of the greatest public health challenges of our time. U.S. contributions including technical support, life-saving medical equipment, and nearly 40 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have enhanced Vietnam’s own remarkable response to this global challenge.
For more information about USAID’s response to COVID-19 in Vietnam, please visit: https://www.usaid.gov/vietnam/covid-19-assistance.
