Oxygen ATMs are sites where oxygen machines and oxygen tanks are provided for free to Covid-19 patients who are quarantined and treated at home. The first oxygen ATMs were placed in the offices of the Youth Union of District 6, District 7, District 8, District 9, Tan Phu District, Binh Tan Dsitrict and Binh Chanh District.

Hoang Tuan Anh, the founder of the ATM-Oxy model.

This program, called “ATM-Oxy” was launched by Hoang Tuan Anh, who is known as the founder of the fist rice ATMs in Vietnam, in cooperation with volunteer group PHGSmarthome, the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association, and Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union.

Volunteers at oxygen ATMs receive information about patients who need oxygen machines and oxygen tanks 24/7. The transportation of these items to the patient's home is only carried out by volunteers from 8 am to 5 pm daily, as the city bans people from going out from 6pm to 6am.

In the near future, this model will be expanded to all districts in the city. The Young Entrepreneurs Association will collect 900 oxygen cylinders.

In phase 2, ATM-Oxy plans to support the exchange of free oxygen tanks for hospitals with an expected number of 5,000 to 10,000 cylinders.

Volunteers at oxygen ATMs receive information about patients who need oxygen machines and oxygen tanks 24/7.

In the third phase, ATM-Oxy will lend oxygen cylinders to hospitals and when Ho Chi Minh City can control the outbreak, this program will be expanded to other provinces across the country.

At present, ATM-Oxy has only 90 oxygen cylinders, allocated to six oxygen ATMs in six districts.

Dr. Truong Huu Khanh from the HCM City Children's Hospital 1 told VietNamNet that the ATM-Oxy model is very good since it can help patients in urgent cases. However, to ensure safety, it is necessary to have medical staff perform medical manipulations in assisting the patient to install the oxygen system and check the operation.

Hoang Tuan Anh, the founder of the ATM-Oxy model, is one of four people who won a VietNamNet award for inspirational figures in 2020. He created the first rice ATM in Vietnam. Other winners were teacher Truong Thi Nhuong, student Ngo Minh Hieu, and Phan Thanh Mien, former Chairman of Bac Trach commune, Quang Binh Province.

Thanh Phuong

Creator of 'rice ATMs' remains humble about his newfound fame

Hoang Tuan Anh, the creator of the ‘rice ATM’ which dispensed rice to the poor to help them survive the Covid-19 pandemic, is one of the 14 people nominated by VietNamNet as Inspiring Characters.