Three long-term medical oxygen production units for the local hospitals of Sfax, Sidi Bouzid and Tataouine as well as medical equipment for Tunisian healthcare professionals will be given at the end of the day, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said Thursday.
These units, which also include devices for filling oxygen cylinders, will allow each of these three Tunisian hospitals to be autonomous in terms of medical oxygen for about fifteen years, the French embassy in Tunis said in a press release.
“These are long term devices which help produce medical oxygen from the oxygen found in ambient air. They are equipped with an innovative process that provides an efficient alternative to the oxygen stored in cylinders or comes in liquid forms. Each unit could supply up to 300 hospital beds with medical oxygen.
The facility’s flow rate allows the supply of 18 COVID patients intubated in intensive care units (or 36 patients in conventional intensive care) or 180 patients under oxygen therapy in a conventional hospital ward.
The French medical equipment to be handed over to Tunisia also includes 7 million FFP2 type masks to meet the needs of Tunisian hospitals for several months, 38,400 antigenic tests, 18 respirators (OSIRIS 3) with their consumables which will help consolidate capacities of Tunisian emergency teams as well as a million gloves.
This initiative is meant to show solidarity with Tunisia «as announced last May 18 by French President Emmanuel Macron during his meeting with the Head of the State Kais Saied.
It is also intended to meet the needs of Tunisia’s healthcare professionals,» the French embassy in Tunis said.
“France’s support brings together the contributions of the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Recovery, the Ministry of Solidarity and Health, the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and the CMA CGM Foundation. It is also part of the civil protection mechanism of the European Union (MPCU), ” the same source said.

Source: TAP News Agency