By Sue-Ann Wayow
AT no point in time, has the public healthcare system ran out of any essential medication or supplies for a prolonged period including oxygen, says Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh.
He said the Ministry of Health has been effectively managing its supply chain for pharmaceuticals, personal protection equipment, gloves and other supplies unlike other countries with more resources.
“There are global supply chain issues and it is not unique to anything. It is across the board,” he said.
Deyalsingh speaking at the Ministry of Health’s virtual Covid-19 update, the minister commended the acting principal pharmacist Anesa Doodnath-Siboo for ensuring the steady supply.
He said, “We have never run out of anything critical for an extended period of time even with this global supply chain issue.”
Deyalsingh added, “Right now, as it stands, there is no major long-term shortages of anything needed to fight both Covid and for the normal healthcare system.”
On the issue of oxygen, he said last year, a decision was taken based on discussions with the Emergency Operations Centre to install oxygen tanks that did not need manual assistance.
He said, “One of the measures which we took into consideration already implemented, to decrease the manual operation of oxygen tanks, we worked with our major oxygen supplier Massy Gasses, to put in what is called big vic tanks which are big storage unit for oxygen which is then piped automatically to the patient reducing the need for manual intervention to monitor and switch over from tank to tank. Three of the tanks have been installed, one at the Point Fortin Area Hospital, another one is being installed at St James, and we have a third vic tank to be installed at another of the facilities.”
Head of the Adult Emergency Department at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex Dr Kiran Suraj also spoke about the issue of oxygen and described why a Covid-19 unvaccinated patient would need more oxygen than someone who was vaccinated.
He also said at the EWMSC, the facility was outfitted with 71 oxygen tanks for use as well as competent persons who regularly monitor patients’ oxygen levels.
Dr Suraj explained that an unvaccinated non Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Covid-19 patient would need 7.6 litres of oxygen per minute as opposed to a fully vaccinated patient.
Patients in his department with severe diseases also required high levels of oxygen Dr Suraj said.
Based on that information, he encouraged vaccination against Covid-19 as 86% of Covid-19 patients in the parallel healthcare system were not fully vaccinated.
