Commission IX DPR Supports The Government To Import Oxygen Cylinders

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION / DOC BETWEEN

JAKARTA - Member of the House of Representatives Commission IX Rahmad Handoyo supports the government's plan to import oxygen cylinders to meet domestic supply needs as an effort to deal with the surge in COVID-19 cases.

"We support the option of overcoming oxygen shortages, whatever steps the government will take, we support them, even if they are imports," Rahmad told reporters on Monday, July 5.

However, according to him, it will take time for the government to be able to carry out the import of the oxygen cylinders. The reason, he said, the government has asked the Ministry of Industry to shift the use of oxygen cylinders from the industrial sector to the medical sector.

Therefore, Rahmad believes that the government must coordinate, including the Minister of Health and the Minister of Industry so that 90 percent of the industrial oxygen allocation is diverted to health facilities.

"This is one solution," he said.

In addition, Rahmad also appealed to the public to continue to improve discipline in implementing health protocols. Because, if it is ignored, then whatever the government's efforts to overcome the scarcity of oxygen cylinders will be in vain.

"No matter how much we prepare oxygen, and medicines or others, we will not be able to fulfill it if we are bombarded with new COVID-19 exposures every day, so all are required to follow health protocols," said the Central Java legislator.

The government previously pushed for the need to import oxygen cylinders to serve COVID-19 patients in various hospital emergency treatment rooms in a number of areas.

"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 hospitals," said Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin during a Working Meeting with Commission IX DPR, Monday, July 5. .