Remarkable Solidarity Saves Hospital from Oxygen Crisis

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Spokesperson of the Bandung Immanuel Hospital Gideon Dwi Pamungkas on Tuesday revealed that the general public and relatives of the hospital’s patients rallied together to help supply oxygen after the hospital announced it would run out of supply in a few hours.

The announcement that was made on the hospital’s website was met with good samaritans sending in oxygen supplies that enabled the hospital to continue treating Covid-19 patients. Since then, the remarkable solidarity and donations in the form of various oxygen tanks continue to arrive.

“Following the announcement many people rallied together bringing in oxygen tanks,” said the spokesperson on July 20. “The situation is now under control.”

Out of the 167 available hospital beds to treat coronavirus patients, 79 are currently being used. Pamungkas said that the oxygen shortage was due to the sheer number of patients the hospital had to treat and that it was the first time something like this happened.

Just hours before oxygen supply depleted, he said management contacted a number of oxygen suppliers to help with resupply but was faced by the fact that its suppliers also had to serve other hospitals in need. The hospital has now increased its medical oxygen capacity to 5,600 liters.

“Everyone needs it which is why it was not as maximized as it used to,” said the spokesperson. “It’s not that supplies are difficult but mainly because many need [the oxygen], so this is the condition.”

On Monday, July 19, the Immanuel Hospital president director Ruly Sjambali announced that oxygen supply for patients would only last for the next 2-3 hours. The hospital had also requested help from the West Java Provincial Health Agency.

Read also: South Korea Donates Oxygen Concentrators, Ventilators to Indonesia

ANWAR SISWADI (CONTRIBUTOR)