The first oxygen gasifier, which turns liquid oxygen into gas, was installed in the Vladimir Ilich Lenin hospital of the Cuban province of Holguin, to celebrate the 42nd anniversary of this important medical center. It is planned to install these units in medical centers throughout the country.

At a total cost of 110,000 pesos -of which 65,000 is in freely convertible currency- the Turkish gasification unit serves to substitute the shipment of 85 cylinders daily from the industrial gas company of Holguin which supplies the hospital.

During the opening ceremony; Dr. Rene Leyva Medina, Director of V.I Lenin Hospital emphasized that the setting up of the system will guarantee the oxygen supply to the patient care rooms, surgical units and childbirth rooms.

He stressed that this investment will save much diesel per month in transportation, because the 14 shipments a week at the rate of two per day to supply steel oxygen cylinders, will now only require three.

Engineer Jose Joaquin Lopez Alvarez, director of the Provincial Gas Company announced that, before the end of the year another similar system will be installed at the Luis Guillermo hospital of Moa.