The construction of the oxygen pipeline would bridge the existing oxygen gap whilst ensuring that the mortality rate due to the shortage of oxygen was reduced.

Sponsored by an American non-governmental organisation, Society of Critical Care Medicines (SCCM), the project would be undertaken by a Ghanaian-based company, Life Care Technologies (LCT) within six months.

Speaking at the launch over the weekend, a member of SCCM and an associate professor of anaesthe­siology and critical care medicine at John Hopkins University, Dr John Sampson, said the project would address some of the oxygen challenges that existed and the energy challenges that affected the production of oxygen in the various hospitals.

He added that Ghana had addressed some of its oxygen challenges, however, there was a need to help other African coun­tries tackle their situation better by emulating Ghana’s growth.

“The major facilities in Ghana have oxygen hence the critical role Ghana must play due to it being a regional leader in West Africa,” he said.

Dr Sampson stressed the need for hospitals in Ghana and West Africa to adopt proper mainte­nance cultures to increase the life span of the oxygen pipeline as more human lives depended on the channel.

He professed his outfit’s sup­port towards addressing the health care gap in Africa.

In his remarks, the Munici­pal Chief Executive of the La Dade-kotopon Municipal Assem­bly (LaDMA), Mr Solomon Kotey Nikoi, noted that the initiative by the SCCM was critical to the people of Ghana hence the need to ensure its success.

He hinted at several collabora­tions between the SCCM and the LaDMA to address some of the health challenges of the people of the community.

“We are therefore glad to host you as doctors in our municipality and we look forward to a good collaboration especially in the areas of health delivery, provision of health infrastructure and medical equipment or logistics which are inadequate to meet the needs of our people in the municipality and beyond,” he stated.

He further called for other stakeholder investment in the health sector of the country.