Why Hospitals in Cambodia Need On-Site Oxygen Generation System? And How PSA Technology Solves the Problem

Why Cambodian Hospitals Need On-Site Oxygen Generation — And How PSA Technology Solves the Problem

For decades, hospitals across Cambodia have depended on external suppliers to deliver medical oxygen in cylinders — a system that works until it doesn't. Delayed deliveries, supplier shortages, and high ongoing costs have left ICUs, maternity wards, and emergency departments vulnerable at the moments they can least afford it.

On-site oxygen generation changes that entirely. Here's why it matters, how it works, and why more hospitals in Cambodia are making the switch.

The Problem with Cylinder-Based Oxygen in Cambodia

Cylinder dependency is deeply embedded in Cambodia's hospital system. According to a Ministry of Health assessment, 72% of provincial and district referral hospitals source oxygen from suppliers within their own province — meaning supply chains are short but fragile. When demand surges or logistics fail, there is no backup.

The consequences became clear during the COVID-19 pandemic. A MOH oxygen baseline assessment found that no provincial hospital had the capacity to manage five or more critical COVID-19 patients requiring oxygen simultaneously. Demand outpaced supply across the country almost overnight.

Beyond emergencies, the cost burden is significant. Private oxygen suppliers charge around US$15 per cylinder. Hospitals running multiple wards around the clock face enormous ongoing costs — and remain entirely dependent on third-party schedules.

How PSA Oxygen Generation Works

Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) is the technology behind modern on-site hospital oxygen plants. It works by drawing in ambient air — which is approximately 21% oxygen — and passing it through a molecular sieve that separates oxygen from nitrogen. The result is a continuous, on-demand supply of medical-grade oxygen at 93%±3% purity, produced directly at the hospital site with no external deliveries required.

A PSA oxygen generator runs 24 hours a day, requires only electricity and routine maintenance, and can be sized to match the exact needs of a facility — from a small district referral hospital to a large national hospital running ICU, surgical, and neonatal departments simultaneously.

What Cambodia's Hospitals Have Already Demonstrated

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cambodian government invested in PSA plants across provincial hospitals. The results have been significant. The Kampong Cham PSA plant — with a rated capacity of 80 Nm³ per hour — now supplies all nine secondary-level public hospitals in the province, along with health centers across operational districts. Cylinder prices through this hub-and-spoke model dropped to US$4–6 per cylinder, compared to US$15 from private suppliers.

Large private facilities in Phnom Penh have also moved in this direction. The Cambodia-China Friendship Hospital operates an on-site oxygen generator producing over 10,000 litres per hour — eliminating cylinder dependency entirely for a high-volume facility.

As of 2024, Cambodia's Ministry of Health continues to strengthen the management of PSA plants at provincial hospitals, with active guidance issued to health departments in Battambang, Kampong Cham, Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchey, Prey Veng, Kratie, and Preah Vihear.

What to Look for When Choosing a Hospital Oxygen System

Not all PSA systems are equal. Key considerations include output capacity in litres per minute matched to peak clinical demand, oxygen purity certified to medical-grade standards, a long-term maintenance contract (five years is recommended by international guidelines), local technical support for calibration and repair, and compliance with Cambodia's AMDD and DDF medical device registration requirements.

How Future Focus Solutions Can Help

Future Focus Solutions & Pharma Co., Ltd. is an AMDD-licensed distributor of Oxywise oxygen generation systems in Cambodia. Oxywise PSA plants are engineered for continuous hospital use, DDF-registered, and supported by FFS's local installation and maintenance team across Phnom Penh and the provinces.

Whether you are equipping a new facility or looking to reduce dependency on cylinder supply, our team can assess your hospital's oxygen demand and recommend the right system.

Contact us to learn more: 📞 +855 23 232 007 | +855 89 481 003 ✉ info@ffocuss.com | 🌐 ffocuss.com