Oxygen main therapy for patients: Doc

National

NATIONAL Control Centre clinical lead and emergency physician Deputy Chief for Highlands and Mamose Dr Scotty Kandelyo says oxygen is the main therapy for moderate to critical Coronavirus (Covid-19) patients.
“The consumption of medical oxygen in hospitals in the country has risen since the increase of the Covid-19, particularly in high-risk provinces,” he said.
Oxygen is used in every health care setting, with applications from anesthesia to inhalation therapy.
He explained how a single, moderate Covid-19 patient consumes oxygen from two large cylinders (G size – 7600Lx2) in 24 hours, but a severe or critical patient consumes 3 G size cylinders in the same amount of time.
Plans to build pressure swing absorbtion oxygen plants in the capital, Kokopo, Lae and Mt Hagen to ease the demand in the regions are being implemented, with one already completed in Port Moresby.
The company supplying medical gas to public health facilities has reported that it has scaled up its oxygen supply by 75 per cent but that the logistics of supplying oxygen to hospitals is very challenging.
Dr Kandelyo is requesting all health facilities to be proactive in assessing their oxygen capacity and request for a re-supply before their buffer supply is depleted.
“Supply of oxygen is currently struggling but keeping up with demand. If there are more cases however, we might run short. Therefore non-pharmaceutical measures are important,” he said.