The government has decided to import 21,000 extra cylinders to be provided to Covid patients in case of an emergency. Mr. Basil Rajapaksa, Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation, said that Litro Gas Lanka Limited has been instructed to keep these stocks safe.
Accordingly, Litro Gas Lanka Limited has already made arrangements to import oxygen cylinders from Singapore and the first consignment is expected to arrive shortly, Government Information Department says.
Ceylon Oxygen Limited and Gas World Lanka Limited currently manufacture oxygen in the island. Currently, some hospitals have large-scale liquid oxygen tanks, oxygen concentration plants, and small-scale oxygen storage facilities near beds. However, it is advisable to increase the number of air-oxygen cylinders of different sizes for the needs of patients, he added.
The requirement of additional oxygen cylinders as predicted by the Ministry of Health is as follows.
I. 2,000 small cylinder of 4 liters, II. 10,000 large 12-liter cylinders
III. 9,000 47-liter cylinders
Accordingly,
In addition, the Chinese government is reportedly considering supplying a consignment of medical equipment, including oxygen cylinders, to Sri Lanka in response to a request made by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa from the Republic of China.
Sri Lanka to import 21,000 extra oxygen cylinders
