Gov’t to Distribute Oxygen Concentrators to Hospitals, COVID-19 Isolation Centers

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin delivers a statement in a press conference at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Monday (26/07). Photo by: PR of Cabinet Secretariat/Agung.

In light of the surge in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia, the Government has announced it continues to distribute oxygen concentrators to hospitals and COVID-19 isolation centers to meet high demand for oxygen.

“We have secured a donation of 17,000 [units of oxygen concentrator] and some of them have arrived. We will also buy 20,000 units to be distributed to all hospitals and isolation centers,” Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin said in a press conference at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Monday (26/07).

According to Budi, every thousand units of oxygen concentrator can produce about 20 tons of oxygen per day and can be distributed more easily because it can replace large oxygen cylinders.

The Government, he added, also continues to encourage oxygen producers in Indonesia to ramp up their production capacity for medical oxygen.

Budi also maintained that one of the reasons for the recent COVID-19 mortality spike was because some patients went to the hospital after in a deteriorating condition.

“If [your oxygen saturation] is below 94 percent, you must immediately go to the hospital or a centralized isolation facility. If the saturation rate is above 94 percent, you do not need to go to the hospital,” he said, adding that all patients, especially self-isolation patients, must regularly monitor oxygen saturation with an oximeter.

The Minister also appealed to self-isolation patients to contact COVID-19 Handling Task Force in their respective areas so that they can continue to be monitored and the mortality risk can be reduced. (DND/UN) (RI/EP)