Udayapur's Belaka to set up medical oxygen plant

Belaka Municipality of Udayapur district has initiated fundraising campaign to set up a medical oxygen plant in the municipality. The fundraiser was initiated since last week with an aim to collect above Rs. 10 million to begin setting up the plant within 100 days.

However, the declared dateline will be met soon, said the municipality. The municipality has deposited Rs 2 million and many donors are contributing individually and institutionally. Institutionally, Sewa Foundation and Care Nepal have donated Rs. 2.5 million and Rs. 1 million respectively, shared the fund raising committee. Likewise, four local levels of Udayapur have collectively given Rs. 2 million.

Now, partnered with National Innovation Center (NIC) led by Mahabir Pun, Mayor Durga Kumar Thapa (Swostik) said the NIC has allocated specifications of the plant and the target budget will be met within two weeks. The plant will be set up at the Municipal Hospital of Belaka-9 which is adjacent to Madan Bhandari highway.

A bank account, 0770113435200001, has been set up at Kumari Bank Belaka branch under the 'Oxygen Plant Construction Committee'.

The fundraiser campaign is run under a 10-member committee called 'Oxygen Plant Construction Committee' which is chaired by mayor Durga Kumar Thapa (Swostik) himself. The Member of Lower House of Parliament representing the district is chief advisor while all Provincial assembly members from the district are advisors. Representatives from District Coordination Committee, Nepal Red Cross, District Public Health Office, Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal, NGO Federation of Nepal, among others, representing Udayapur district are also in the list of advisors.

The plant, once it is run, will be the first oxygen plant established by a local government in Province 1. The plant will be established with multi-faceted approach, said mayor Thapa. He added, ''The oxygen plant will be useful not only in medical field but also in garage works and various agricultural fronts. We will be happy to be first service provider of this kind among the four districts of Sagarmatha Corridor- Udayapur, Khotang, Okhaldhunga and Solukhumbu.''