Salman Sufi Foundation launches O2 bank project amid oxygen shortage

Amid a critical shortage of medical oxygen in the country and a rising demand for Covid-19 patients, The Salman Sufi Foundation has announced the launch O2 Bank, a project that will streamline the oxygen supply to citizens.

The project is planned to address the critical issues citizens face such as no centralised mechanism to find oxygen vendors and the hoarding of oxygen supplies which severely hamper the ability of citizens to procure life-saving oxygen.

Covid-19 has exposed critical flaws in the country’s oxygen supply network and prices have been systematically raised by hoarders, said a press release issued by the foundation on Friday.

The initiative gained tremendous support from neighbouring India as well, where leading filmmaker and actor Pooja Bhatt tweeted to work with Salman Sufi to replicate the project in India as well.

The Salman Sufi Foundation has announced that the O2 bank will provide one central phone number where citizens will be able to call and reserve an oxygen cylinder as well as for refills. It will also work to deliver cylinders for those who cannot collect them from the O2 bank.

The O2 bank will have its operations 24/7 and will procure oxygen concentrators to produce O2 as well as procure it from local manufacturers. Citizens will only pay a standard flat fee which will not be raised due to increased demand and will be provided free of cost to those who cannot afford to purchase the cylinder.

The foundation has requested support from people and corporations to help expand the project. First two O2 banks are planned for Lahore and Karachi, with expansion plans for the rest of Pakistan. The Salman Sufi Foundation has previously launched Saaf Bath Public toilets, Women on Wheels and project Step Up in Karachi and Lahore, and this will be their 5th project to support the underprivileged.