There should be efforts to prevent medical oxygen (scarcity) for any reason, whether it is because of limited stock or non-optimal distribution mechanism or system, this should be reformed
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy emphasized the importance of preventing medical oxygen scarcity through comprehensive management from upstream to downstream.

"There should be efforts to prevent medical oxygen (scarcity) for any reason, whether it is because of limited stock or non-optimal distribution mechanism or system, this should be reformed," he noted.

Indonesia had experienced a rise in oxygen demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic from May to August 2021, he stated after the Dissemination: Sustainable Access to Medical Oxygen event here, Wednesday.

This situation caused Indonesia to face a shortage of medical oxygen, and several hospitals have to save their medical oxygen supply.


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"One of the government's strategies in the effort to handle medical oxygen is providing mandate to the private sector to change industrial oxygen to medical oxygen," he stated.

Based on a series of discussions, beyond conducting intervention in the production and distribution sector, other efforts that have to be undertaken to prevent the medical oxygen crisis is by conducting crisis management, Effendy remarked.

"Special skills and knowledge in the management of crisis related to medical oxygen at hospitals, especially during the pandemic, is necessary," he remarked.

"In addition, the handling of oxygen crisis has to be done comprehensively from upstream to downstream, starting from regulation, production, distribution, and consumption," he noted.

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To this end, Effendy lauded the dissemination event held by his ministry along with the Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Center (MDMC) and PATH.

The event is expected to encourage the creation of guidelines to handle oxygen crisis in the future.

Meanwhile, Equitable Regional Development and Disaster Mitigation Coordination Deputy at the Ministry Sudirman underlined the importance of boosting sustainable access to medical oxygen by encouraging the creation and implementation of the Oxygen Crisis Mitigation Road Map.

The Oxygen Crisis Mitigation Road Map encompasses policy merging oxygen crisis mitigation and regulation simulation implementation, he explained.

The ministry lauded the road map, oxygen response map and module that had been delivered by MDMC to support the improvement of medical oxygen access, he added.

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Translator: Wuryanti P, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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