The daily oxygen requirement of Sri Lanka’s hospitals has dropped to the level before the Covid pandemic according to health sources,. He said the daily oxygen requirement is currently in the range of 35 to 40 tons in a context where the epidemic situation is under significant control.
According to the Ministry of Health, the daily demand for oxygen rose to 135 tons a month ago and the health sector had to import about 60 tons a day from abroad. This need diminished as the legal status quo controlled the spread of the epidemic.
Sri Lanka’s daily oxygen production is about 77 tons, of which the average supply for medical needs is 44 tons per day. Although the rest of the oxygen was supplied to the industry, all the oxygen produced in the country in the recent past was directed to medical supplies and in addition had to be imported.
Despite the lifting of the curfew, the health sector has a great responsibility to control the spread of the disease.
