"On this occasion, I would like to thank all of you for providing 21 ISO tank containers of oxygen, each with a capacity of some 20 tons. This means a lot to us," Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said in a statement here on Tuesday.
The aid would meet half of the daily oxygen demand in the country, which has reached nearly 800 tons, he informed.
The ISO tanks, with a capacity 25.8 tons of oxygen each, were shipped from Morowali, Central Sulawesi on July 1, 2021, and arrived at Jakarta on Tuesday. They will be distributed to hospitals treating COVID-19 patients, the minister said.
Related news: Indonesia orders 10,000 oxygen concentrators from Singapore
According to PT IMIP CEO Alexander Barus, the aid demonstrates the company's concern and solidarity in the fight against COVID-19.
"We welcome the government's call to industries to meet the oxygen demand for COVID patients," Barus remarked.
With the country battling a major spike in coronavirus infections, the government has asked industries to convert all supplies of oxygen to fulfill medical requirements.
Amid the alarming rise in infections, the availability of medical oxygen matters and must be addressed immediately, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut B. Pandjaitan, has emphasized.
Data from the Health Ministry and the Industry Ministry has pointed to a fivefold increase in the demand for medical oxygen amid the exponential rise in COVID-19 cases, Pandjaitan noted in a press statement released here on Monday.
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Translator: Ida Nurcahyani, Sri Haryati
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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