TEMPO.CO, Bogor - Bogor Mayor Bima Arya has urged the central government to take a swift action to deal with medical oxygen supply scarcity in the city.

"Oxygen supply from oxygen refilling stations have increasingly become limited. In fact, a hospital in Bogor City has temporarily suspended its emergency installation service as it ran short of medical oxygen," he said on Saturday.

The oxygen refilling stations are operated by PT Sandara Baswana Gas in Citeureup Sub-district, PT Rezki Gasindo Jaya in Gunung Putri Sub-district, and PT Aneka Gas Industri (Samator) in Cileungsi Sub-district.

The three oxygen refilling stations have complained about declining oxygen supply from a wholesaler in Jakarta. In fact, the wholesaler does not sometimes supply oxygen to the refilling stations, he said.

"They all have complained about supplies from the (medical oxygen) manufacturers which can no longer meet their needs. So, if the quantity of oxygen supplied is small, then the oxygen will be distributed among hospitals which are in dire need of it," he said.

Bima said the city government has bought 150 units of 6-m3 oxygen tanks to be distributed among hospitals.

By buying 150 oxygen tanks, the city government can rely on several sources for oxygen supplies, including PT Krakatau Steel, Indonesian Children and Standby Volunteers Movement and the West Java Provincial Oxygen Command Post.

He said the medical oxygen scarcity has many impacts including on the mortality rate among COVID-19 patients receiving treatment at hospitals and conducting self isolation at their homes.

"It also has an impact on the hospital bed occupancy rate. In the absence of oxygen supply the patients who need respiratory aid cannot be served. So all sides must act swiftly to del with the oxygen supply scarcity," he said.

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ANTARA