Medical oxygen: Why it is lacking and how it is made

  • Date: 29-Apr-2021
  • Source: Gulf Today
  • Sector:Healthcare
  • Country:UAE
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Medical oxygen: Why it is lacking and how it is made

paramedic uses an oximeter to check the oxygen level of a patient inside an ambulance in Ahmedabad, India. Reuters Difficulty breathing is one of the most common severe Covid-19 symptoms, and as photos of people waiting in long lines for oxygen canisters in India and elsewhere attest, supplies of medical oxygen are far from adequate everywhere in the world. Why the long waits for oxygen in developing nations? India is only the latest country to confront a lack of medical oxygen supplies. Earlier in the pandemic there were similar scenes of long lines in countries such as Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Peru and Venezuela. Unitaid, a global initiative that helps low- and middle-income countries confront public health challenges, puts the lack of supplies of medical oxygen down to its cost, limited infrastructure and logistical difficulties. Medical oxygen is key to treating people in respiratory distress, whether at home or in hospitals. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one person in five suffering from Covid-19 needs medical oxygen to ensure that the level of oxygen in their blood is sufficient. How much is needed in countries facing shortages? In February, the WHO estimated that half a million people