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Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter

A thousand cylinders of medical oxygen were handed over to President Mnangagwa yesterday by the new local gas producer, as the Second Republic now moves from economic recovery to growth anchored on National Development Strategy 1.

While medical oxygen is used for many patients who need critical care and intensive care, at the moment Covid-19 patients with severe symptoms are likely to be the largest group of beneficiaries.

Verify Engineering, a wholly owned Government company opened last year under the auspices of the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, donated the medical oxygen to President Mnangagwa for distribution to health institutions of his choice.

President Mnangagwa who launched the company’s oxygen and nitrogen plant in September last year in Feruka, Manicaland, handed over the oxygen to the Ministry of Health and Child Care for distribution to health centres.

In accepting the donation, President Mnangagwa said what the firm had done gave impetus to the thrust now being pursued by the Second Republic, that of a transition from recovery to economic growth.

“I am also informed that Verify Engineering has also taken a huge step towards establishment of depots for the distribution of gases across the country with those in Harare, Bulawayo, Masvingo, Chiredzi, Gweru and Kwekwe now ready to receive the oxygen.

“This is important for our economy whose trajectory has shifted from recovery to growth, benefiting from the various socio-economic programmes and projects being spearheaded by my administration,” said President Mnangagwa.

He said the donation was timely given that it was coming at a time when the Government was battling Covid-19.

“This donation is being received at a time when the nation is faced with a surge in Covid-19 infections. While this presents challenges we are confident that with the Covid-19 containment measures which my Government is instituting from time to time, coupled with local production of medical oxygen, we will be able to save more lives now.

“Indeed, solutions are birthed in difficult times like we are going through due to the effects of Covid-19,” he said.

President Mnangagwa described the setting up of the gas plant as a milestone for the country.

He said he was encouraged that the medical oxygen had been certified by the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe as its purity levels met the acceptable scientific standards.

“The setting up of a plant which produces gas products for medical and industrial use was a milestone achievement for the Second Republic and it is testimony of Education 5.0 at work.

“I am therefore excited to receive these first fruits of financial and human capital from Verify Engineering. It is worth noting that the medical oxygen is fully certified by the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe. This certification is given to oxygen with a minimum purity level of 99,5 percent.

“The fact that Verify Engineering products have purity level of 99,9 percent is a clear testimony that we have a product that meets all the requirements of our health regulations for use on patients,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said the country’s economy was well on course buoyed by the thrust that the Government is taking to build it, “brick by brick and stone by stone”.

Speaking at the same occasion, Verify Engineering chairperson, Engineer Edgar Kamusoko said the firm through its subsidiary, VE Gases will venture into the gases market spaces in the country and beyond where it intended to make a bold footprint through sustainable local production and supply of high quality gas products and technical services to the medical sector and the industry in general.

“We are producing high quality medical oxygen of more than 99,5 purity. VE Gases is coming into the market to complement existing gas supply systems and we will be coming in to roll out a countrywide distribution network which ensures sustainability, accessibility, availability of products to our valued customers.

“We are also cognisant of the need for VE to grow, survive and remain competitive in the market while offering affordable products for the benefit of our people from all walks of life especially during this prevailing Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

He said the subsidiary was finding its way into the market and will eventually grow into a stand-alone subsidiary of Verify Engineering as it had created hundreds of employment.

“As such, Verify Engineering design team is back in the trenches now focussing on new projects namely coal to fertiliser projects,” he said.

Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister, Professor Amon Murwira said the local gas production demonstrated how the Government had utilised the heritage resource based research and technology development with Education 5.0 as enunciated by President Mnangagwa.

Prof Murwira, who is also acting Minister of Health and Child Care commended the President’s leadership saying it had transformed higher and tertiary education through innovation and ensuring that citizens took charge of their own affairs.

The event was attended by Defence and War Veterans Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, Cabinet ministers and senior Government officials.