Oxygen cylinders sought from mountaineers

The Nepal Mountaineering Association, or NMA, has taken the initiative to collect oxygen cylinders from mountaineers as the country scrambles to find enough oxygen for a swelling number of COVID-19 patients.

The association said around 5,000 oxygen cylinders are being used by mountaineers to climb Qomolangma－the world's tallest mountain known as Mount Everest in the West－and other Himalayan peaks at the moment.

The cylinders are light, portable and can supply oxygen for three to four hours to the climbers at high altitude, expedition organizers said.

The NMA said they are holding discussions with expedition organizing companies about the possibility of the mountaineers handing over their oxygen cylinders.

Nepal's Department of Tourism has issued a total of 408 permits for climbers of Qomolangma, with another 740 permits for those attempting to climb other Himalayan mountains.

Though the Nepali Sherpa guides and some others do not need climbing permits, they have to take oxygen with them as well.

Santa Bir Lama, the president of the NMA, said on Monday that in initial discussions, some expedition organizers responded they would talk about the matter later "as almost all oxygen cylinders are currently on the mountains".

Most of the climbers were expected to return in the third and fourth weeks of May.

The NMA has, however, handed over some old oxygen cylinders used by mountaineers to the National Innovation Center Nepal, a nonprofit organization established by Nepali innovator Mahabir Pun that was producing medical equipment. "We had asked the NMA if it could make available oxygen cylinders used by the mountaineers for potentially using them to provide oxygen to the COVID-19 patients. There is the possibility of receiving 25-30 old oxygen cylinders from the NMA at the moment."

Some expedition organizers said they would be interested in providing oxygen cylinders.

"The NMA has not yet consulted with me about this. We are ready to provide the cylinders for temporary use as they are very expensive," said Mingma Sherpa, chairperson of the Seven Summit Treks.

Ang Tshering Sherpa, founder of Asian Trekking, said he himself is involved in the effort to collect such oxygen cylinders for COVID-19 patients. "If the cylinders are available along with their regulators, they possibly can be used to help COVID-19 patients," said Sherpa, a former president of the NMA.

But the oxygen manufacturers who supply medical oxygen for hospitals said they do not have the experience of filling up cylinders used by the climbers.

"We are not sure about whether such cylinders can be used at hospitals as the regulators are different to what hospitals are using currently," said Gaurav Sarda, president of the Oxygen Industries Association of Nepal.

To get more oxygen, police have been mobilized to confiscate hoarded cylinders. The officers even approached jewelry shops and iron wielding centers for oxygen, a report by the Himalayan Times of Nepal said.

Xinhua