Inauguration of two oxygen production plants in N'Djamena: a major step for public health in Chad

As part of the initiative to strengthen the health system in Chad, the Minister of Health inaugurated two new medical oxygen production plants at the CHU La Renaissance and the CHU Bon Samaritain, acquired with funding from the Global Fund with technical support from WHO. This marks a turning point in access to emergency health care for Chadian populations requiring oxygen.

This initiative is part of a successful partnership between WHO, the Ministry of Public Health, and the Global Fund, with the aim of ensuring a stable supply of medical oxygen for patients requiring intensive care, including respiratory diseases and serious injuries. The plants were built under the Global Fund's C19RM (COVID-19 Response Mechanism) funding, a mechanism that has made it possible to effectively respond to urgent needs related to health crises.

With a production capacity of 60 bottles of 150 bars per day, each of the two oxygen production plants is designed to meet the needs of hospitals and other health structures surrounding N'Djamena.

During the inauguration, the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Abdelmadjid Abderahim, recalled that "this project is in line with the social program of the Head of State, one of the projects of which aims to modernize the health system including infrastructure and equipment, in order to make the health system more efficient and resilient and thus improve the health of the populations and their well-being." Before calling on technicians to work towards connecting each bed to the oxygen device, in his speech, the minister also insisted on the fact that the provision of such infrastructure considerably improves patient care, the quality of care as well as the image of the country's hospital infrastructure.

For her part, WHO Representative Dr. Blanche Anya stressed the importance of this project for universal health coverage. “The availability of medical oxygen is essential to save lives, particularly in the context of intensive care. This project reflects the collective commitment to strengthen the health system and improve access to essential care for all Chadians,” she said before recalling the logistical and administrative difficulties that accompanied this project throughout its implementation.

The total cost of the two plants amounts to 828 million CFA francs, 85% of which was invested in the acquisition of oxygen production equipment. This project also represents a long-term strategic investment, with measures to ensure the sustainability of the facilities. The Ministry of Health and its partners have put in place preventive maintenance measures, as well as training for local technicians, to ensure optimal operation of this essential equipment.
The establishment of this modernized infrastructure now brings the total number of large-capacity oxygen production plants in Chad to four, with the aim of adding two more in Gozbeida and Ati in the coming weeks.

WHO, the Global Fund and the company NOVAIR, which provided and installed the equipment, received warm thanks for their contributions, as well as for their continued cooperation that made this project possible. The Chadian government, the general directors of the hospitals and all the partners present at the inauguration ceremony expressed their commitment to ensuring the sustainability of these plants through rigorous management and technical support reinforced by WHO.

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