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Indonesia to import oxygen tanks, allocate 90 percent of oxygen production to fight 2nd COVID-19 wave
July 07, 2021
JAKARTA, July 7 (Xinhua) - The Indonesian government is planning to import medical oxygen tanks and allocate 90 percent of oxygen production for medical needs as the country is fighting the second wave of COVID-19 cases.
The country's Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Monday that the ministry is planning to import oxygen cylinders measuring six cubic meters and one cubic meter to meet the need of additional emergency rooms in hospitals.
The Indonesian government planned to allocate 90 percent of oxygen production for medical needs amid the surging COVID-19 cases, according to Sadikin.
Hospitals on the island are reportedly facing shortages of oxygen.
According to the Health Ministry's data, currently, the total oxygen needs for intensive care and isolation of COVID-19 patients reach 1,928 tons per day.
The daily cases of COVID-19 in the Southeast Asian nation have surpassed 30,000.
On Tuesday, the country's Health Ministry reported 31,189 new cases.
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Workers unload oxygen cylinders from a truck at a temporary oxygen refilling station in Jakarta, Indonesia, July 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain)[/caption]
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People wait to refill their oxygen tubes in Manggarai of Jakarta, Indonesia, on July 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Veri Sanovri)[/caption]
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A man carries an oxygen tube to be refilled in Manggarai of Jakarta, Indonesia, on July 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Veri Sanovri)[/caption]
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People wait to refill their oxygen tubes in Manggarai of Jakarta, Indonesia, on July 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Veri Sanovri)[/caption]
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A man carries an oxygen tube to be refilled in Manggarai of Jakarta, Indonesia, on July 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Veri Sanovri) ■[/caption]