BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – As part of the preparation for the more transmissible Delta variant of the virus causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the provincial government of Negros Occidental is boosting its oxygen plant near the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City.
According to Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz, the oxygen plant is currently producing 70 oxygen tanks a day, or roughly 1,540 a month.
At present, even with Negros Occidental still having more than a thousand active COVID-19 cases, the use of oxygen among the provincial government-owned hospitals remains normal, Diaz said.
He added that hospitals in the province consume at least 1,200 oxygen tanks each month, and with the present production capacity, there is at least a buffer of 340 tanks.
“We are in a safe place in so far as our oxygen tanks are concerned,” Diaz said.
However, recently procured high-flow oxygen cannulas could result to more oxygen being used. With this, Diaz said, they have reached out to the Provincial Engineer’s Office (PEO) to improve the efficiency of the province’s oxygen plant.
Diaz revealed that the oxygen plant resumed operation just last year after sitting idle for a year, and they even had to ask the PEO to send mechanical engineers to troubleshoot the machinery and determine which parts needed fixing.
“We are stepping up production and hopefully we can produce more kun magsaka man gid ang mga kaso,” Diaz added.
In case the demand for oxygen further increases, Diaz said, the province has suppliers.
STILL ‘DELTA-FREE’
The province remains free from the Delta variant. According to Diaz, they are employing several restrictions such as requiring those entering the province negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results.
Although Negros Occidental only reported the detection of the Alpha and Beta variants, Diaz said preparations are underway in case the Delta variant breaches the province.
Meanwhile, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson ordered hospitals to further increase their bed capacity. The province’s healthcare system might collapse if the Delta variant of COVID-19 cases surge.
Lacson once again appealed to the public for their cooperation by following minimum health protocols such as wearing of facemasks and face shields, physical distancing and regular hand washing./PN
