The remaining stocks of oxygen will only be sufficient for another seven days Health Ministry sources told Lankasara. As the number of Oxygen-dependent patients rising, the daily demand has exceeded by around 40 percent and the remaining stocks nearing to end within few days these sources said further.
At present, the daily oxygen requirement is close to 100 metric tons and the total domestic oxygen production is reported to be 77 metric tons.
So far, the health sector has received only 44 metric tons of this oxygen per day. The rest was spent on the industry. At present, the total amount of oxygen produced in the country has been taken to the health sector and the same amount has been obtained.
At present, the demand for oxygen is higher than the capacity. Until now, the situation has been managed with stocks of oxygen purchased by the Ministry of Health, which will be sufficient for another week, health sources said.
The health department has estimated that the daily oxygen requirement will increase to 120 metric tons in the next two weeks. Currently, there are more than 700 oxygen-dependent patients in the country. Of the 650 Covid patients at the National Hospital, 250 depend on oxygen for their livelihood. At the National Hospital alone, 20 Covid patients are being treated in the Intensive Care Units.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror reported today that the government has decided to buy 100 metric tons of oxygen from India every week. The secretary of the health ministry has told the Daily Mirror that the move would begin next week.
