Omanghana
Indo-Ghana Industries Limited has commenced the supply of locally manufactured liquid medical oxygen to healthcare facilities in Ghana, delivering its first batch to Lekma Hospital in Accra.
The development represents an important shift in Ghana’s medical oxygen supply system from dependence on individual cylinders to bulk cryogenic storage facilities connected directly to hospital pipeline networks.
Under the new arrangement, medical oxygen is transported in liquid form and stored in a specialized cryogenic tank installed on the hospital’s premises. It is then converted into gas and distributed through pipelines to wards, theatres and other clinical units.
The first delivery to Lekma Hospital is expected to support the facility’s oxygen requirements for at least three months. The hospital’s storage tank can hold liquid oxygen equivalent to approximately 1,000 standard gas cylinders.
The bulk system is expected to reduce the frequent transportation, handling and replacement of individual cylinders. It will also help minimize supply interruptions, particularly in emergency departments and other units where patients require continuous oxygen therapy.
Lekma Hospital’s clinical engineering department said the new system supplies oxygen at a purity level of close to 99%. This represents an improvement over some older on-site oxygen generators, which typically produce concentrations of between 90% and 92%.
In addition to higher purity, the system maintains steady pressure throughout the hospital’s pipeline network. This allows different departments to access oxygen simultaneously without significant fluctuations in delivery.
Indo-Ghana Industries produces the liquid medical oxygen at its facility in the Apollonia Industrial Enclave. The plant currently has an estimated production capacity of 10 tones per day, with plans underway to expand output as demand grows.
The company is working with international development partners, including the United States Agency for International Development, the Clinton Health Access Initiative and JHPIEGO, to strengthen access to medical oxygen in Ghana.
Through the partnership, about 15 hospitals across the country have been equipped with liquid oxygen storage tanks, enabling them to receive bulk supplies from the production facility.
Indo-Ghana Managing Director Varun Tyagi said the company plans to introduce a hub-and-spoke distribution model to improve access in areas located far from the main production center.
Under the proposed system, regional refill and distribution centers would serve as hubs for supplying smaller and more remote healthcare facilities. The approach is intended to reduce transportation distances and improve the reliability of oxygen deliveries nationwide.
Despite the progress, the company identified high operating costs and financing difficulties as major challenges affecting production and expansion.
Electricity reportedly accounts for between 42% and 45% of the company’s production costs. Delayed payments from hospitals also affect cash flow, while limited access to long-term financing makes it difficult to invest in additional production and distribution infrastructure.
Reliable medical oxygen is essential for emergency care, surgery, intensive care, maternal and newborn treatment, respiratory illnesses and several other medical procedures.
The introduction of locally produced liquid oxygen could help reduce Ghana’s dependence on imported supplies, strengthen emergency preparedness and provide hospitals with a more consistent source of the essential medical product.
Indo-Ghana’s first delivery to Lekma Hospital is expected to serve as a model for the wider adoption of bulk oxygen systems in healthcare facilities across the country.
Source: Omanghana
