Embattled Nepalese hospitals receive 800 oxygen cylinders from UN, China DevelopmentAid

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and China have delivered 800 units of oxygen cylinders valued at US$100,000 to the Government of Nepal (GoN). On 2 August, Dr. Hashina Begum, UNFPA Deputy Representative to Nepal, handed over these additional lifesaving supplies to Dr. Bhim Singh Tinkari, Director of Management Division (DoMD) under the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) of Nepal.

The support, provided under a trilateral agreement between the Government of Nepal, the Government of China, and UNFPA, comes as the second wave of COVID-19 has put enormous pressure on health facilities across the country with hospitals experiencing a critical shortage of oxygen.

Appreciating the input from international development partners towards a collective COVID-19 response effort, Bhim Singh Tinkari stated that Nepal required oxygen supplies to respond to the current emergency as well as to prepare for a possible third wave. “This support from the Government of China and UNFPA will help increase access to health facilities with functioning oxygen supplies,” he added.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on vulnerable people, including women of reproductive age who are facing greater barriers in accessing maternal health and family planning services, Lubna Baqi, UNFPA Representative to Nepal, also called for “ensuring continuity of reproductive health services, including consistent supply of contraceptives and essential reproductive health commodities to mitigate the impact of the unprecedented pandemic on women and girls”.

UNFPA support to Nepal’s COVID-19 response

In response to the pandemic, so far UNFPA Nepal has procured 7,248 PPE sets and 275 Inter-Agency Reproductive Health Kits, 3,600 units of hand sanitizer, 500,000 pairs of examination gloves, and 50,000 masks
It has supported the development of the Interim Guidelines for Reproductive, Maternal, New Born, Child, and Adolescent Health and organized 3,454 health program managers and service providers
A total of 33,303 pregnant women have been supported with essential and timely emergency obstetric and neonatal care at 520 health facilities and 102 pregnant women received free ambulance services in 16 districts of Nepal
A total of 670 women in remote areas have been given family planning counseling, 6,506 callers were given sexual and reproductive health information, and as many as 8.8 million people, including pregnant and new mothers, received sexual and reproductive health messaging

UNFPA has stated that it will continue to support the GoN’s COVID-19 response plans together with other UN agencies and development partners to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on progress towards the three transformative results: ending preventable maternal deaths, ending the unmet need for family planning and ending GBV and harmful practices.

Nepal has been battling a second coronavirus wave since April. Although the peak was reached in mid-May, the country continues to struggle with a rather high number of daily cases. As of 2 August, Nepal has reported a total of 699,649 confirmed COVID-19 cases and almost 10,000 deaths. With regard to vaccination, its rates continue to be low with 14% of people having received the first dose and only 7% having had both doses.