Indonesia to import oxygen tanks to fight 2nd wave

Jakarta, July 6 (IANS) The Indonesian government is planning to import medical oxygen tanks as the country is fighting the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.The plan was announced by the country's Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin during a hearing on Monday at the House of Representatives, reports Xinhua news agency.Sadikin said the Ministry is planning to import oxygen cylinders measuring six cubic meters and one cubic meter to meet the need of additional emergency rooms in hospitals.The needed oxygen, the minister said, will be supplied to a number of hospitals in regions on the country's most populated island of Java, particularly West Java, Central Java and East Java.Hospitals on the island are reportedly facing shortages of oxygen.In Yogyakarta province, the regional Covid-19 Task Force recently confirmed that 63 patients with coronavirus infections treated in DR Sardjito General Hospital died on July 3-4 after it ran out of medical oxygen supplies.Indonesia on Monday recorded 29,745 new confirmed cases, marking the highest daily spike and bringing the total tally to 2,313,829, the Health Ministry said.The death toll added by 558 to 61,140.
--IANS ksk/