KATHMANDU, June 3: The Coca-Cola Foundation is supporting CREASION to set up an oxygen generating unit in Nepal to help the country overcome the worsening health crisis due to the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a press statement issued by the Coca-Cola Foundation, the unit is one of the most vital medical equipment needed to cater to the increasing cases of COVID-19 patients. The funding is in addition to a separate award by The Coca-Cola Foundation to Nepal Red Cross Society in support of vaccination access initiatives; public vaccine awareness campaigns; and personal protective equipment for frontline workers and vulnerable populations.
The oxygen generating unit is transportable both by road and air and can be installed quickly. Since these units have already been installed in many hospitals of Nepal, there would not be any further regulatory issues as well. Each unit can cater up to 50 beds and 15 cylinders in a day and is expected to meet the shortage of the life-saving gas. CREASION along with its consortium partners has already placed an order for 10 units from NovAir, a France-based medical device manufacturing company.
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“We know the Covid-19 crisis is far from over,” the statement quoted President and Chairperson of The Coca-Cola Foundation Bea Perez as saying. “We are proud to use our resources to support CREASION’s efforts to create additional oxygen availability for Covid-19 patients in Nepal.”
The oxygen producing unit will broadly benefit over 20,000 people with lifesaving oxygen supply, over 18,000 hospital beds will receive a continuous supply of oxygen for a year and over 5,000 oxygen cylinders will be refilled and delivered to the patients in need. The plant will be installed at a government hospital, in support of the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP).
Founder and President of CREASION, Aanand Mishra said oxygen for Nepal initiated by CREASION in collaboration with other platforms is the largest non-governmental humanitarian response against COVID-19 in Nepal. "We have envisioned a sustained response to this pandemic through fundraising and provision of essential medical commodities. We are grateful to The Coca-Cola Foundation for supporting our vital cause and hope to save more lives with the assistance,” he said.
The Coca-Cola Foundation is the global philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company. Since its inception in 1984, The Foundation has awarded more than $1 billion in grants to support sustainable community initiatives around the world, including protecting the environment; empowering women; and the overall well-being of communities through education, youth development, arts and culture and economic development.
