11 June 2021. UNDP  handed over 400 oxygen concentrators to the Government of Nepal, Ministry of Health and Population. Provided as part of UNDP’s emergency COVID response, these machines are expected to help ease the shortage of medical oxygen experienced by hospitals in provinces. Distributed equitably to all the provinces in coordination with MoHP, these machines are already on their way to respective provinces. 

UNDP Resident Representative Ayshanie Medagangoda Labe handed over the concentrators to the Ministry of Health and Population earlier today. There are 200 machines of 10L capacity and 200 of 5L capacity.

“This support is part of our emergency COVID response. UNDP has repurposed its programme resources and allocated US$ 3 million for emergency COVID response, out of which US$ 1.6m is for strengthening health system and US$ 1.4m for early recovery activities,” said Labe handing over the supplies. She informed that UNDP & WHO  supporting the Government of Nepal for  digitalization of COVID 19 vaccination records related data management. UNDP is also in the process of supporting in health waste management.

“We already have a clear plan to immediately dispatch these concentrators to provincial & local level hospitals,” said Dr. Roshan Pokhrel, Chief Specialist, MOHP

Here is the distribution plan as per the discussion with the Management Unit, Department of Health Services.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sewa Lamsal and WHO Nepal Representative Rajesh Sambhajirao Pandav were also present at the event.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, UNDP has been standing with the people and the Government of Nepal in battling COVID-19.

For more information about UNDP’s response to COVID-19, please visit np.undp.org/coronavirus