The UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has expressed its commitment to strengthening Bangladesh's healthcare infrastructure by ensuring accessible and sustainable solutions.
"We take great pride in working alongside our partners to help Bangladesh in achieving its healthcare goals," said Kirstine Damkjær, UN assistant secretary-general and deputy executive director of UNOPS, during a visit to the National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH) in the capital today.
NIDCH is one of 29 hospitals across Bangladesh where UNOPS, in collaboration with partners such as the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), and the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), constructed Pressure Swing Adsorption plants to strengthen the national healthcare system with funding from the Global Fund, said UNOPS in a statement.
The initiative is part of the Bangladesh government's Covid-19 emergency response plan.
Partner hospitals were strategically selected across Bangladesh as part of this initiative, including NIDCH, to ensure that underserved communities have access to essential medical services.
Working closely with partners, UNOPS supported the procurement of essential medical equipment and supplies while enhancing healthcare infrastructure through the installation of oxygen therapy units.
As a result, Bangladesh's most underserved communities now have strengthened healthcare systems capable of delivering critical medical services during health emergencies such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prof Halimur Rashid, line director of Communicable Disease Control of DGHS, said," This initiative is a game-changer for our healthcare system. For too long, we have relied on cylinder-based oxygen, which is often unreliable, costly, and difficult to manage during emergencies."
"With these PSA plants, 29 public hospitals can now generate their oxygen, reducing dependence on external suppliers and ensuring critical care is never compromised."