Ghana has launched a nationwide medical oxygen expansion project with the commissioning of 10 liquid oxygen plants, thanks to a strategic partnership between the Ghana Health Service (GHS), USAID, and Jhpiego Ghana.
The initiative, unveiled at the LEKMA Hospital in Accra, is designed to address longstanding oxygen supply gaps in public health facilities—a problem that became painfully evident during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Dr. Ebow Hammond, Director of Health Administration and Support Services at the GHS, the newly installed plants—spanning seven regions including Greater Accra, Northern, Oti, Tamale, and Yendi—will produce more than eight million litres of high-grade medical oxygen annually.
“This investment is a bold response to the lessons learned from the pandemic,” Dr. Hammond said. “Our hospitals no longer need to rely on distant sources to get oxygen. We are equipping ourselves to meet demand head-on.”
Liquid oxygen, which can expand into over 800 litres of gaseous oxygen per litre, is being positioned as a game-changer in emergency care, critical surgeries, and neonatal health—areas where shortages previously cost lives.
Dr. Pearl Nanka-Bruce, Country Director for Jhpiego Ghana, stressed that the project is designed not as a short-term intervention but as a long-term investment. “We are building capacity, not dependency,” she said, pointing to the training of over 200 biomedical engineers and clinicians in equipment maintenance and oxygen therapy.
As part of the transition plan, the first year’s oxygen supply has been imported from Côte d’Ivoire, funded by the U.S. Embassy. However, discussions are already underway to establish local production to ensure sustainable and sovereign access to this critical medical resource.
U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Rolf Olson praised the project as a cornerstone of America’s enduring partnership with Ghana. “This is not just a gift—it’s an investment in saving lives,” he said. “More than 155,000 patients annually, including mothers and newborns, will now have reliable access to oxygen. That covers 30 percent of Ghana’s total national oxygen demand.”
At the local level, the impact is already being felt. Dr. Akua Gyimah Asante, Medical Superintendent of LEKMA Hospital, called the initiative “transformational” for clinical care delivery.
“Oxygen is not a luxury—it’s medicine,” she said. “And now, we can deliver it consistently.”
The oxygen plant rollout marks a critical shift in Ghana’s health sector strategy, prioritising decentralised access, resilience, and local ownership over reactive emergency measures. As the plants begin operation, health experts say Ghana is charting a path that other African nations may soon follow.
