ED: Averting an oxygen crisis

Our health sector right now has its hands full, to say the least. From hospital beds to medication to vaccines, our resources are stretched all too thin, so the last thing we need at this point is to get hit by yet another shortage. 

It is alarming, then, that health authorities have warned that we could be on the verge of an oxygen crisis. In fact, some places are already very much in the middle of the crisis. We must now make sure there is a steady supply of oxygen if we indeed wish to prioritize on saving lives.

According to the health bulletin on Sunday, in the 26th week of 2021, the number of patients had shot up by 51%, while fatalities rose by 46%. While a spokesperson from DGHS has said “there is no oxygen crisis right now,” it is clear that we are in bad shape, and we do not have a moment to spare in preparing for a higher inflow of patients in the days to come.

There have already been allegations of people dying due to oxygen supply failures. These deaths must be investigated, and the authorities need to make sure no more lives are lost in this manner. Action must also be taken against unscrupulous parties that stockpile and sell unauthorized oxygen at sky-high prices. 

Experts should also be listened to at a time like this to resolve storage issues. Liquid oxygen allows for the storage of more oxygen in a given amount of space than gaseous oxygen tanks, though the former is a more complex and expensive process. We should listen to the experts on these technical matters, and do what it takes -- saving lives rather than cutting costs should be the main goal.