Quality Assurance Practices for Medical Oxygen Systems: Technical Resource for Distribution- and Facility-Level Medical Oxygen Systems

Medical oxygen is an essential medicine and is needed at most levels of the health system. Access to it is necessary for newborns and children with respiratory distress, hypoxemia resulting from pneumonia and other conditions, for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women with obstetrical complications and for surgery and trauma patients. Medical oxygen has also been a critical treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, notable investments have been made in oxygen supply systems—either by installing new oxygen generating plants (PSA or VSA) or by purchasing liquid oxygen for use where appropriate. With a focus on supply, there must also be assurance that medical oxygen remains of acceptable purity, without hazardous impurities, and deemed safe for patient use.

This USAID MTaPS technical resource document for ensuring the quality of medical oxygen, whether produced on-site or outsourced, aims to serve as a reference and includes tools for practical application in its annex. It can be used by any stakeholder working in the oxygen space (public or private sector, multilateral or not-for-profit), with an emphasis on in-country application to establish and/or implement and adhere to quality assurance practices along the medical oxygen supply chain – sourcing and/or producing medical oxygen on-site, and its storage and distribution so that patients receive oxygen that is safe, reliable, continuous, and of acceptable quality.