By Nanette Guadalquiver / Philippine News Agency
The city government here has taken steps to ensure sufficient supply of medical grade oxygen in hospitals catering to patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
As of Monday, records show that the average daily consumption of local hospitals is 863 units of 50-kilogram cylinders, with a maximum recorded consumption of 1,247 cylinders at some point.
In a statement, Mayor Evelio Leonardia said he met with oxygen producer and distributor Lucio Chua on Saturday with the request to prioritize production and distribution for hospitals amid the increasing admission of COVID-19 patients.
“A follow-up discussion will be conducted with the supplier of raw materials in oxygen production to resolve the limitations in outsourcing,” he added.
Leonardia said Chua explained that the increase in raw resources will help raise production and solve the shortage problem in the supply of medical oxygen.
Em Ang, executive director of Emergency Operations Center Task Force, said Bacolod-based hospitals earlier sought assistance to address the oxygen supply shortage.
She said the Department of Health requires hospitals to store at least 6,010 cylinders of medical grade oxygen to ensure sufficient supply during surge in admissions.
Ang said they will raise the concern before the City Council for the approval of a resolution that will authorize procurement of medical grade oxygen supplies as needed by the hospitals.
Under the One Hospital Command Center, there are seven healthcare facilities catering to COVID-19 cases in this city, including the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, Bacolod Adventist Medical Center, Bacolod Queen of Mercy Hospital, Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital, Metro Bacolod Hospital and Medical Center, South Bacolod General Hospital, and The Doctors’ Hospital.
In Resolution 489 passed last month, the City Council urged the Department of Trade and Industry to strictly and closely monitor the sale, purchase, and disposal of medical oxygen gases in certain retail and/or wholesale stores in Bacolod.
According to the resolution, there were “reports that some hospitals in Bacolod had, at certain time(s), suffered from the lack of medical oxygen gas supplies for their patients.”
“To avert the grim situation resulting from lack or want of medical facilities or homes in the City of Bacolod, there is a need to fact-check these reports and monitor the purchases, sales and disposal of medical oxygen gas in the city of Bacolod,” it added.
As of October 10, Bacolod logged 21,342 coronavirus cases, including 2,109 active cases, 18,714 recoveries, and 519 deaths. (PNA)-rir
