Govt Commissions Liberia’s 1st Medical Oxygen Plant
Monrovia, Liberia –The Government of Liberia has dedicated its first-ever Medical Oxygen Plant, a pioneering achievement towards building a more robust, responsive, and resilient health sector in the country.
The Oxygen Plant, located at Star Base on Bushrod Island, is expected to serve an estimated population of two million inhabitants in Montserrado and Margibi Counties.
Commissioning the Plant Tuesday, October 25, 2022, President Weah extolled Liberia’s partners for collaborating with his Government in supporting initiatives geared towards improving healthcare delivery to the people of Liberia.
Sounding upbeat by such a groundbreaking achievement, President Weah described the establishment of the Oxygen Plant as an excellent mark of good and realistic collaboration between the Government of Liberia with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other strategic partners.
The Governments of the United States through USAID along with the Federal Republic of Germany, and Canada provided financial support for the establishment of the Plant.
The President also expressed profound appreciation to the Governments of the three countries for supporting Liberia in the fight against COVID-19 and strengthening the health system.
The United States Government through USAID is also supporting the World Health Organization (WHO) to establish another oxygen plant in Bomi County, which upon completion will serve health facilities in Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, and Gbarpolu counties.
“We place immense value on this timely support to protect the country against future emerging and re-emerging public health threats,” the President said.
In addition to these two new oxygen plants, the Liberian Chief Executive announced that the Ministry of Health has prepared and presented a roll-out plan for the establishment of eleven (11) more oxygen plants throughout Liberia.
According to the President, this represents a commitment of his administration to bring more health services to communities, “as we attempt to increase access to universal health coverage and protect the population from public health threats under the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD)”.
He said the investments in oxygen plants will not only help address the resurgence in the COVID-19 pandemic but will also and more importantly serve all hospitals with the treatment of other perennial diseases, such as pneumonia that persist long after the pandemic.
President Weah used the occasion to extol Liberia’s record as one of few countries globally that have successfully managed the COVID-19 pandemic despite the challenges presented to the health system.
He noted that “the stabilization of the COVID-19 situation and the declining trajectory of new infections in the country is a result of my Government’s swift action in leading and managing the response, in collaboration with our international partners”.
