As the coronavirus cases remain unchecked, authorities in Nepal have initiated plans to import around 20K oxygen cylinders and 100 ventilators, anticipating a situation like India which has been grappling with an acute shortage of oxygen. 

“We are working to import oxygen cylinders from China through a government-to-government agreement,” Jageshwar Gautam, the spokesperson of Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population, was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post. 

“We are now discussing whether to send our own plane for bringing the cylinders,” he said, adding some of the oxygen cylinders could arrive next week. A portion of supplies, they expect, could be in form of grants from China. 

So far, existing suppliers bring oxygen cylinders via sea route. However, Officials said it would probably take weeks to bring those supplies through the sea route. Given the threatening surge in infections, the sea route is not practical. 
 
Earlier on 27 April, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Li has had a meeting with foreign ministers of South Asian countries - except India, the Maldives, and Bhutan- to discuss closer cooperation in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic. 

 Hospitals in capital Kathmandu don’t have their own oxygen plants. And existing suppliers have around 70,000- 80,000 cylinders with a maximum capacity of supplying 8000 cylinders daily. Half of the active caseload in the country is from the three districts of the valley alone.  (SAM)