BACOLOD CITY — The city government here has urged the supplier of medical grade oxygen to prioritize their production and distribution for hospitals amid oxygen supply shortage for treatment of COVID-19 patients.
This, after the city government noted that hospital admission of COVID-19 patients with severe cases has increased.
Earlier, the hospitals here sought the assistance of the Emergency Operations Center–Task Force (EOC-TF) to resolve the oxygen supply shortage, according to EOC-TF Executive Director and former City Administrator Em Ang.
The Department of Health (DOH) requires hospitals to store at least 6,010 cylinders of medical grade oxygen to assure enough supply in the wake of the surge of admissions.
Ang, in a report on medical grade oxygen demand in Bacolod-based hospitals that accommodate patients coming from Bacolod and other local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental, said the average daily consumption is at 863 of 50-kg cylinders.
The maximum recorded consumption of hospitals reached up to 1,247, she added.
The same concern was raised earlier before the City Council in order to pass a resolution that will authorize procurement of medical grade oxygen supplies as needed by the hospitals.
On Sept.22, the City Council passed Resolution 489, urging the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Bacolod to strictly and closely monitor the sale, purchase and disposal of medical oxygen gases at certain retail and/or wholesale stores here.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia met with local oxygen producer and distributor Lucio Chua over the weekend to address the matter.
Leonardia said that another follow-up discussion will be conducted with the supplier of raw materials for the production of oxygen to resolve the limitations in outsourcing raw materials.