Reuters - Indonesia has ordered oxygen manufacturers to prioritize medical needs amid rising demand from COVID-19 patients, the government said Sunday.
The fourth most populous country in the world is fighting the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Asia. Saturday's 27,913 infections are the latest of many peaks in the last two weeks.
In a statement, Sarjito Hospital in Java said 63 patients died after almost no oxygen in the period between Saturday and early Sunday, when fresh supplies arrived.
However, a hospital spokesman could not confirm whether all the dead were suffering from COVID-19.
In response, the government has called on the gas industry to increase production of medical oxygen, said Siti Nadia Tarmizi, a health ministry official.
"We also want people not hoarding oxygen," she added, referring to stockpiles that may have the effect of rejecting gas for many.
The hospital said it had sought more oxygen for the days before the incident, but virus patients who had flowed in since Friday pushed it out of capacity and consumed the supply sooner than expected.
The crisis was mitigated when we began to receive more supplies shortly before dawn Sunday.
Separately, the ministry overseeing Indonesia's COVID-19 response has ordered the gas industry to prioritize production to meet the estimated demand for 800 tonnes of oxygen daily for medical needs.
The ministry added that the industry has an annual idle capacity of 225,000 tonnes, which can still be used.
Hospitals throughout Java are at stake due to the epidemic of highly infectious delta mutants, which were first identified in India and caused a dramatic surge in cases and pressure on medical resources.
In Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, the government said the daily number of funerals according to the COVID protocol increased tenfold from early May, with 392 burials Saturday.
It was also the day when the 18-day "emergency" curb came into effect on Java and Bali to control the spread of the virus.
Starting Tuesday, Indonesia will limit the arrival of foreign visitors and allow only those who are fully vaccinated and have a negative PCR test, excluding diplomatic travel, the ministry said.
Visitors must spend eight days in quarantine upon arrival.
