Oxygen a major treatment and vital for severe COVID-19 patients and every hospital needs to have enough oxygen supply to contain the disease.
When the Eastern Highlands province experienced a sudden increase in COVID-19 cases early this year, hospital authorities were faced with insufficient supply of oxygen.
The Provincial Director for Public Health, Dr. Max Manape said when the province reported over 30 positive cases the patients with severe conditions were admitted with the hospital lacking oxygen cylinders.
“Severe cases of COVID-19 required oxygen as a major treatment but all at the same time presented difficulty,” he said.
Dr. Manape said one oxygen cylinder was used up within a day because the people admitted in the ward depend heavily on oxygen.
“That’s why we increase our oxygen capacity from 100 to 200 and then 100 continue to sustain the hospital, while another 100 go down to Lae for refill.
“Department of Health, UNICEF and WHO support us with oxygen concentrators and this relieve a lot of problem.”
He said with this there has been a decline in cases in the last month and few severe cases monitored in the wards.