The government has brought 18,000 empty oxygen cylinders from China. Ganesh Pandey, Press Advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Ishwor Pokhrel, who is also the head of the COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre, informed that 18,000 empty oxygen cylinders have arrived at the Tatopani border.
Pandey said that once the Government of China officially hands over the cylinders then the empty cylinders will be brought to Kathmandu.
As the number of infections and deaths related to the coronavirus started rising in the country hospitals began facing a shortage of oxygen supply. As a result, the government had requested the Chinese government for medical aid based on which China had pledged to provide 20,000 such cylinders. Earlier, Nepal Airlines Corporation had flown in 400 oxygen cylinders from China.
As per Pandey, the government will be bringing the remaining 1,600 via the air route. In this regard, a wide-body aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation will be bringing 550 empty oxygen cylinders from China today. The aircraft had departed for China on Saturday.
Meanwhile, 560 empty oxygen cylinders have also been brought to Nepal with the help of the Non-Resident Nepali Association in Oman. As the hospitals in the country started facing shortage of oxygen supply the government has started to bring empty oxygen cylinders from various countries.
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