LocationsHow a station producing medical oxygen appeared in Nookat
August 20, 2025
A nurse measures a patient's blood pressure
Asil Dosbekova, a patient with chronic bronchitis, has already tested the innovation on herself and has something to compare it with, she is quick to share her observations:
- Before, I was suffocating, my throat was clogged, there was a lot of phlegm. After oxygen, it became easier to breathe, I cough less. This is a different quality of life.
When the world faced the COVID-19 pandemic at the beginning of 2020, no one in Kyrgyzstan - neither doctors, nor health experts, nor ordinary citizens - could imagine that the scarcest thing would be... oxygen.
At the height of the pandemic, it became clear: the healthcare system is vulnerable not only due to a shortage of beds and doctors, but also due to the lack of its own infrastructure for producing medical oxygen.
Asil Dosbekova, a patient with chronic bronchitis
Emergency response
Inga Babicheva, HIV and TB Coordinator and Deputy Project Manager at UNDP/Global Fund, recalls:
— We knew we had to act quickly. Activists, experts, and the Ministry of Health asked the Global Fund to allow them to reallocate part of the current grant for emergency measures against COVID-19.
The Global Fund responded quickly and allocated about $1.2 million. Through the UNDP international procurement mechanism, personal protective equipment, disinfectants, and — most importantly — ventilators were quickly delivered to Kyrgyzstan. There were only ten of them, but they saved lives in the institutions that were the first to receive COVID-19 patients, including the tuberculosis service and the National Hospital.
Later, the Global Fund allocated another funding package of $6.6 million. These funds were used to purchase tests, personal protective equipment, disinfectants, repair COVID hospitals, and install a CT scanner in the Republican Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital — the second one in the country at the time. Next, another CT scanner was purchased for the National Center for Phthisiology.
And the money saved was used to implement a project that changed the oxygen situation in one of the most densely populated areas in the south of the country.
Inga Babicheva, HIV and TB Coordinator and Deputy Project Manager at UNDP/Global Fund
Why Nookat?
The decision to install an oxygen mini-plant in Nookat was dictated by logistics: it is convenient to supply oxygen to 3-4 nearby district hospitals from here. Access to medical care is higher in cities, but on the outskirts, everything is much more complicated.
Director of the Nookat District Territorial Hospital Kubatali Azimbaev says:
— We have more than 330 thousand people and 605 beds, almost half of all patients need oxygen. Previously, we depended on supplies from abroad, now we can provide ourselves and neighboring areas.
The station produces certified medical oxygen, not technical oxygen, which was often used out of desperation during the pandemic. The difference is fundamental: technical oxygen is not intended for breathing, it can even be dangerous for patients.
For transportation, cylinders and a special vehicle were purchased. Residents of the area observed the installation of the station, asked if it was dangerous, and received explanations from specialists: the equipment fully complies with international standards.
Doctors from Nookat Hospital during training on how to use oxygen cylinders
How it all works
Technical specialist of the project Dmitry Makarov said:
- The station extracts oxygen from the air and pumps it under pressure into certified cylinders. The capacity is about 200 cylinders per day, each with 6 cubic meters. This is about 1200 cubic meters of oxygen per day.
In a serious condition, one cylinder is enough for a patient for 30-40 minutes, in a mild condition - for a couple of hours. Cylinders are delivered to hospitals depending on the need, delivery is carried out by specialized transport.
The station was assembled in Germany, some of the modifications were made in Turkey. The container format allows you to place it in almost any suitable location. The service life is 10 years without serious breakdowns, with annual two-week maintenance. After replacing key elements, it can work for the same amount of time.
The cost of a cylinder here is about 100 soms, at uncertified stations - about 250 soms. Savings of 2.5 times.
The initiator of the project to install an oxygen station, Sammitdin Maripov, emphasizes:
- Last year, about 2.5 thousand children fell ill with pneumonia, and all of them needed oxygen. Thanks to the station, we can treat and prevent complications. Previously, oxygen cost the hospital 32 million soms a year, now - 3.7 million. Savings of almost ten times.
Even with a full workload of intensive care, the Nookat hospital completely covers the needs for the treatment of adults and children.
Technical specialist of the project Dmitry Makarov
How will this affect patients and doctors
Doctor Irsalat Imarova adds:
— Before 2020, it was very difficult. Now there are oxygen points in almost every ward, even in the emergency room. We can stabilize a severe patient in 2-3 days, and cure them in 12 days without complications.
Patient Rakhimzhan Tadjibaev recalls:
— I came in cyanotic, barely breathing. They connected me to oxygen — and after a couple of minutes it got better.
And then...
The station will be transferred to the state balance. A plan will be developed for its sustainable operation, the implementation of which will involve: the hospital itself, the district and regional administrations.
According to Inga Babicheva, this project has shown that the country's oxygen infrastructure needs to be reviewed and modernized. National standards, needs assessment and investments — internal and external — are needed.
— The installation of this station is just the beginning, — she says. — Every citizen, regardless of their place of residence, must have access to oxygen, which saves lives in critical situations.
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