Context:
- Over 500 million people globally lack access to safe, affordable medical oxygen, a critical life-saving therapy.
- South Asia (78%) and East Asia & Pacific (74%) have the lowest oxygen service coverage worldwide.
- The COVID-19 pandemic starkly exposed systemic weaknesses in oxygen production, storage, and delivery, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
- Global frameworks like the WHO Resolution on Access to Medical Oxygen and the Lancet Commission roadmap now emphasize long-term, sustainable solutions beyond emergency responses.
Key Highlights:
Systemic Deficiencies in Oxygen Access:
- Fragmented supply chains and poor coordination between production, storage, and last-mile delivery.
- Acute shortage of trained biomedical engineers and technicians for installation and maintenance.
- Aging hospital infrastructure, limited diagnostics, and weak maintenance systems.
- Logistical challenges in remote, rural, and island geographies common in Southeast Asia.
Financial and Policy Gaps:
- Limited public health financing for oxygen infrastructure in LMICs.
- Short-term COVID investments failed to translate into durable health-system strengthening.
- Absence of national oxygen strategies and weak accountability mechanisms.
- Heavy reliance on emergency foreign aid, undermining long-term self-reliance.
Need for an Integrated Strategy:
- WHO recommends national oxygen plans aligned with region-specific needs.
- Emphasis on public–private partnerships, transparent health data, and local manufacturing capacity.
- Prioritisation of innovative technologies such as PSA plants, predictive analytics, and low-cost oxygen delivery systems.
Successful Models and Best Practices:
- Solar-powered oxygen hubs in Nigeria and Ethiopia reduce dependence on unreliable electricity grids.
- WHO–Bhutan cross-border PSA training model demonstrates scalable regional cooperation.
- Tailored local solutions addressing geography, climate, and health capacity prove more effective than uniform models.
Scientific and Technical Concepts Involved:
- Medical Oxygen: High-purity oxygen used in hospitals for surgery, emergency care, neonatal support, and respiratory illnesses.
- PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) Plants: Technology that separates oxygen from ambient air to generate medical-grade oxygen on-site.
- Supply Chain Resilience: Ability of health logistics systems to absorb shocks and maintain uninterrupted supply during crises.
Relevant Prelims Points:
- Issue: Inadequate access to essential medical oxygen in LMICs and Southeast Asia.
- Causes: Underfunding, lack of skilled manpower, weak infrastructure, poor logistics.
- Global Initiatives:
- WHO Access to Medical Oxygen Resolution
- Lancet Commission on Oxygen Security
- Technological Solutions: PSA plants, solar-powered systems, predictive maintenance tools.
- Benefits:
- Reduced mortality from pneumonia, COVID-19, neonatal complications.
- Strengthened pandemic preparedness.
- Challenges: High upfront costs, maintenance gaps, data deficiencies.
- Impact: Progress towards UN SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being and equitable healthcare delivery.
Relevant Mains Points:
- Key Themes: Social justice in healthcare, health infrastructure, science & technology, international cooperation.
- Conceptual Clarity:
- Oxygen as an essential medicine, not an optional medical commodity.
- Health system resilience as a component of human security.
- Regional Significance for Southeast Asia:
- High burden of respiratory diseases.
- Geographic fragmentation increases logistics complexity.
- Global and Regional Cooperation:
- Cross-border training, pooled procurement, and data-sharing platforms.
- Way Forward:
- Develop national oxygen roadmaps integrated into universal health coverage.
- Invest in local manufacturing and renewable-energy-based solutions.
- Strengthen biomedical workforce capacity.
- Institutionalise oxygen planning beyond pandemics to routine healthcare delivery.