The Democratic Republic of Congo was equipped, Thursday, May 19, with eight oxygen production units, financed by the World Bank (WB) to the tune of 3.2 million USD, reports the radiookapi site.
These factories, housed in 40-foot containers, « have the capacity to produce around fifty 50-litre bottles of oxygen per day », according to the representative of the World Bank DRC, Jean Christophe Carret, quoted by the same source.
For the Congolese Minister of Health, Jean-Jacques Mbungani, these factories come in reinforcement of the health system of the DRC. While one of them will be installed in Kinshasa, the capital, this member of the government declared that this unit “will help our populations confronted with the Covid-19 pandemic”.
Jean-Jacques Mbungania acknowledged that the coronavirus has raised awareness « of the necessary need for oxygen when people are in distress ».
The other factories will be sent to the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Kongo-Central and Haut-Katanga. The Minister of Health also pointed out that the financing of the WB falls within the framework of the Development Program of the Congolese health system.
The issue of medical oxygen in the DRC was raised on the sidelines of the celebration of the 13th World Pneumonia Day, November 12 in Kinshasa. It was deplored that the country has no liquid oxygen production plant. Minister Mbungani had, on this occasion, recommended the establishment of a Task Force to reflect on this subject.
By OMA Newsletter N° 710 of 05/20/2022
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