Duque urges public amid COVID-19 spike: 'Don't hoard oxygen tanks'

The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday urged the public not to hoard oxygen tanks at home and instead let the supply circulate to prevent an artificial shortage.

“Nananawagan ako sa ating mga kababayan na huwag kayong mag-hoard ng mga oxygen, unless meron kayong prescription ng mga doktor. Hayaan niyo po 'yung mga tangke umikot, hindi pwedeng nakaistasyon sa bahay ninyo ang mga tangke. Kailangan po may sirkulasyon ang mga tangke na tuloy-tuloy,” said DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III.

(I appeal to the public not hoard oxygen (tanks) unless you have prescription from your doctor. Let the tanks circulate. It needs to continue circulating.)

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Duque said there is no shortage in the supply of medical grade oxygen, based on his discussions with Trade Secretary Mon Lopez whom he said always gets in touch with oxygen manufacturing companies.
 
“Ang sinasabi nila nung huli kaming nag-usap kung 203 tons of oxygen per day ang nagagamit, kaya nilang triplehin o kaya nilang gawing 605 tonnage per day ang isu-supply nila,” Duque said.

(Based on our last conversation if our oxygen consumption is 203 tons per day, they can triple or double it, make the supply 605 tonnage per day.)

Manufacturers, Duque said, can also repurpose industrial grade oxygen into medical grade oxygen. He said he is also waiting for the import of additional tanks.

“'Yung oxygen meron, pero baka sa tangke magka-problema. Kailangang dagdagan ang mga tangke at sabi sa akin mga 20,000 hanggang 30,000 tangke ang aangkatin. 'Yan ang ating napagkasunduan,” he said.

(We have oxygen but we may have a problem with the tanks. We need additional tanks and I was told that we will be importing 20,000 to 30,000 tanks. We agreed on that.)

Government is reportedly studying how to regulate the sale of oxygen tanks in preparation for a surge in COVID-19 cases that could possibly overwhelm the country’s health care system.

“Sinabihan ko na ang aking regional directors na bantayan na hindi magkakaganun. Ganun din sa mga ospital kinakailangang patuloy ang kanilang use-refill-use, ganun dapat,” he said.

(I directed all regional directors to monitor, to not let this happen. The same with hospitals that they continue the use-refill-use, that’s how it should be.)

On Friday, the Philippines recorded 13,177 fresh COVID-19 cases. The country’s confirmed COVID-19 cases has reached 1,713,302, with active cases at 96,395.

Earlier, the Food and Drug Administration warned against storing oxygen tanks at home as these are more combustible than LPG tanks. 

— TeleRadyo, 14 August 2021

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