90 Percent of Indonesia's Oxygen Supply Ordered to Hospitals to Keep Up With COVID Surge

The Indonesian Industry Ministry has been asked to give 90 percent of the nation's oxygen production to hospitals in order to keep up with high demand during the COVID pandemic.

"We have identified oxygen needs in each hospital, and set up oxygen task forces in each province," Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told a parliamentary health commission, the Associated Press reported.

The country is facing a major oxygen scarcity as COVID-19 cases surge. Wednesday was Indonesia's deadliest day since the start of the pandemic with 1,040 reported deaths.

The Indonesian Industry Ministry has been asked to give 90 percent of the nation's oxygen production to hospitals in order to keep up with high demand during the COVID pandemic.

"We have identified oxygen needs in each hospital, and set up oxygen task forces in each province," Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told a parliamentary health commission, the Associated Press reported.

The country is facing a major oxygen scarcity as COVID-19 cases surge. Wednesday was Indonesia's deadliest day since the start of the pandemic with 1,040 reported deaths.

Hospitals are beyond capacity and in desperate need of more oxygen.

Sadikin said the lack of oxygen was largely due to distribution not keeping up with skyrocketing demand. According to government data, COVID-19 patients need 1,928 tons of oxygen a day. The country's total available production capacity is 2,262 tons a day.

Sadikin pledged the government would, "take all efforts to fix it and speed up distribution to areas with high virus infection cases."