Virus-hit Indonesia Orders Oxygen For Jammed Hospitals
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published July 05, 2021 | 08:26 PM
Indonesia on Monday called for the nation's oxygen supplies to be sent to hospitals overflowing with coronavirus patients as fresh cases and deaths hit new records
Jakarta, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Jul, 2021 ) :Indonesia on Monday called for the nation's oxygen supplies to be sent to hospitals overflowing with coronavirus patients as fresh cases and deaths hit new records.
Oxygen producers had been told to allocate their stocks to the medical sector as the country is battered by an unprecedented wave of infections driven by the highly contagious Delta variant, said senior minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.
"We have enough oxygen supply, but demand is up three-to-four fold so there have been distribution gridlocks," he said.
"There's supply from five oxygen producers and we've asked them to allocate 100 percent of their oxygen to the health sector," he added.
Southeast Asia's worst-hit nation may turn to imports if supplies dry up, he added.
Apart from hospitals, the steel and mining industries are major buyers of mineral-rich Indonesia's oxygen supplies.
An emergency refilling station was set up in central Jakarta, while rickshaw drivers in the city of Bandung delivered tanks to homes where virus patients were isolating.
On Monday, the country reported 29,745 new infections and 558 deaths, both daily records, after the government last week ordered fresh virus curbs in the hard-hit capital Jakarta, across Java and on holiday island Bali.
Mosques, parks, shopping malls and restaurants were shut in hotspot areas, while non-essential employees were ordered to work from home.
Dozens in Jakarta were arrested Monday for operating cafes and entertainment venues in violation of the new rules.
In Java's Semarang city, authorities sprayed water hoses at street-side restaurants still serving customers.
The world's fourth most populous nation has seen its daily caseload more than quadruple in less than a month and its tally stands at 2.3 million cases and 61,140 deaths.
But that figure is widely believed to be a severe undercount due to low testing and poor tracing measures.
Indonesia's overwhelmed healthcare system has been teetering on the brink of collapse as jammed hospitals turned away patients, forcing desperate families to hunt for oxygen tanks to treat the sick and dying at home.
Daily Covid burials in the hard-hit capital Jakarta are up 10-fold since May, the government has said, and patients are increasingly dying in isolation at home.
Independent virus data group LaporCovid has said at least 269 people in 10 provinces have died while in self-isolation.
Jakarta's health agency said 45 people had died at home on Friday alone.
There are no official national statistics on the number of Covid deaths at home.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Pakistan marks World Press Freedom Day
High-level Saudi business delegation due on May 5
Stocks heat up as US labour market cools
President approves Tax Laws (Amendment) Bill 2024
Implementation of merit, justice to oppressed segments top priorities: CPO
Overseas Kashmir community delegation calls on AJK President, discusses latest s ..
Govt believes in freedom of press: Amir Muqam
Labour urges UK election after Tory losses
Health authorities asked for action against alleged illegal tenders at Services ..
Spain scraps national bullfighting prize sparking debate
Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan visits Rawalpindi ..
ATC extends interim bail of PTI founder in 3 cases
More Stories From World
-
Football: German Bundesliga results
4 hours ago -
Auger-Aliassime in final as 'crazy' Madrid injury curse strikes again
4 hours ago -
Football: Italian Serie A result
4 hours ago -
Football: Italian Serie A table
4 hours ago -
Football: French Ligue 1 table
4 hours ago -
Bill May or may not make Olympic history in the pool
5 hours ago
-
USA include former Kiwi all-rounder in T20 World Cup squad
5 hours ago -
Canada arrests three over killing of Sikh activist: media
5 hours ago -
Football: French Ligue 1 results
5 hours ago -
'Get this done', WHO chief urges pandemic accord talks
5 hours ago -
Lakers fire head coach Ham after NBA playoff ouster
5 hours ago -
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - collated
6 hours ago