The Ministry Of Health Coordinates With The Ministry Of Industry For The Import Of Oxygen Cylinders For COVID-19 Patients

JAKARTA - The government is encouraging the need for imports of oxygen cylinders to serve COVID-19 patients in various hospital emergency treatment rooms in a number of regions. "We have also coordinated with the Minister of Industry to import 6 cubic meter and 1 cubic meter tubes to meet additional emergency rooms. in the hospital," said Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin during a Working Meeting with Commission IX DPR RI which was monitored virtually from Jakarta, reported by Antara, Monday, July 5. Budi said the process of distributing liquid oxygen to hospitals in large volumes used tanks. The reason is that the majority of hospitals use oxygen cylinders more because of the addition of emergency rooms, so they don't use liquid oxygen. "So we also see that there are a few issues in the distribution, which previously could be sent directly to a large tank. liquid to distribute with oxygen network, now must be done in the form of tubes," he said. In this activity, Budi reported that the national oxygen production capacity currently amounts to a total of 866 thousand tons per year. "However, all of the factories now have 75 percent utilization," he said.

As a result, said Budi, the real annual production is 640 thousand tons. About 75 percent or the equivalent of 458 thousand tons of which is used for industrial oxygen needs such as steel, nickel and other production. "The quota for medical needs is only 25 percent or the equivalent of 181 thousand tons per year," said Budi. Ministry of Industry, so that oxygen conversion from industry to medical is given up to 90 percent or equivalent to 575 thousand tons to meet medical demand amid the COVID-19 surge. One of the oxygen needs will be supplied to hospitals in Central Java, West Java and East Java Provinces. "We must have logistics channeled there," he said