JAKARTA - The Ministry of Industry together with the Indonesian Industrial Gas Association (AGII) and related industry players are trying to maintain the availability of medical oxygen supply for the needs of several hospitals treating COVID-19 patients throughout Indonesia.
Minister of Industry, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, said that with this synergy step, it is hoped that medical oxygen needs, especially for COVID-19 patients, can be met.
"The Ministry of Industry has discussed with the association regarding oxygen shortages in several hospitals in Central Java. They will supply it from factories in West Java and East Java. We will continue to ensure that oxygen needs in hospitals are met and the association has agreed to", he said in a written statement, Wednesday, June 23.
Agus said that along with the increasing demand for medical oxygen gas for COVID-19 patients, it is hoped that the electricity supply for the industry will run smoothly and there will be no disruption.
Furthermore, Agus explained, if the electricity in the industrial area goes out, the oxygen gas production machine takes eight hours to return to normal operation.
"Therefore, the Ministry of Industry hopes that industries that supply oxygen gas for medical use will also receive continuous electricity supply. We ask the State Electricity Company (PLN) to ensure this", he said.
Dispensation for oxygen-carrying tanker trucks
According to Agus, for the supply of oxygen gas for medical supplies to run smoothly, it is hoped that there will be a dispensation for tanker trucks that carry oxygen on certain roads to hospitals in need.
"There is a path that oxygen tanker trucks cannot pass because of the large load," he said.
Agus said that medical oxygen needs are supplied in liquid form because many hospitals already have oxygen gas installations. In addition, the number of oxygen cylinders in Central Java is still sufficient.
"If there is a shortage, you can use the producer's tube first, or take the existing stock in West Java and East Java", he said.
The Ministry of Industry, Agus said, will coordinate with local governments regarding updating data on oxygen demand in the regions, especially hospitals that accommodate COVID-19 patients. This is expected to ensure that the oxygen supply is by the needs of the area and local hospitals.
Oxygen production is prioritized for hospital needs
Agus said the production capacity of oxygen gas in Indonesia is 650 million tons per year, as much as 300 million tons per year is integrated with users. Currently, the industry's average utilization of oxygen gas is around 80 percent because it really depends on the location.
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For this year, Agus continued, as of June 2021, seven million liters of oxygen have been ordered.
"The production and distribution of oxygen gas are prioritized for the needs of hospitals and health facilities in dealing with the surge in COVID-19 cases", he said.
Meanwhile, Agus said, oxygen gas for industrial needs is distributed after the needs for hospitals or health facilities are met. "Until now both arrangements are still under control", he said.
For your information, active cases of COVID-19 in the country have recently soared. In fact, based on data from the Ministry of Health, daily cases on June 23 reached 15,308. Meanwhile, on the previous day, the growth rate of new positive cases was recorded at 13,668. Cumulatively, COVID-19 cases in the country reached 2,033,421.
The province with the highest number of cases was DKI Jakarta, 4,693 and the total number of cases was 486,957. Then followed by West Java with 2,910 so that the total cumulative cases reached 353,629. Then, Central Java was 2,595 and the total cases were 235,434.
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