Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony yesterday assured that there is no issue with oxygen for COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients.
Speaking during his daily COVID-19 update, the Minister noted that since the inception, there has been no issue with the supply of oxygen. “So far we haven’t had an issue with oxygen because we have been working with the oxygen company to ensure that we have an adequate supply…,” he informed.
Anthony further disclosed that there have been several meetings with the company and since then additional measures have been put in place to increase the oxygen capacity at the Infectious Disease Hospital at Liliendaal.
According to the Minister, the facility has been utilising a 1,000-pound cylinder of oxygen but this has since been replaced with a bulk tank that was specially designed and brought into the country for the purpose of increasing oxygen capacity at the hospital. The tank, he says, is replenished every 24 hours.
He also noted that should the oxygen be utilized at a faster-than-normal-rate, there are several back-up plans in place to avoid any shortage.
The minister added that the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) has assisted in analyzing the country’s oxygen needs including at the regional level and has found that some hospitals did not have adequate oxygen tanks but the Ministry has since addressed those issues.
“We have been very proactive when it comes to addressing oxygen and making sure that we have adequate supplies,” he said.
