Indonesia sourcing oxygen supply to battle surge in cases

Indonesia is bracing itself for the worst-case scenario of daily Covid-19 infections reaching over 40,000 by preparing backup health facilities and ordering oxygen supply from neighbouring countries, including Singapore.

The country is struggling to contain the outbreak and keep its fragile healthcare system from collapsing. Yesterday, it reported 31,189 new infections and 728 deaths - both daily record increases.

Indonesia has recorded a total of 2,345,018 Covid-19 cases and 61,868 deaths, making it the worst-hit country in the region.

With the outbreak expected to worsen, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan told a virtual press conference yesterday that Indonesia has made comprehensive preparations with respect to oxygen supply, medication and hospital facilities. It has also "communicated with Singapore, China and other sources", he said.

"We have ordered 10,000 units of oxygen concentrator from Singapore, and some are on their way using Hercules aircraft," he added.

According to the World Health Organisation, an oxygen concentrator is an electrically-powered medical device designed to concentrate oxygen from ambient air.

Mr Luhut said the oxygen from these machines could help milder Covid-19 cases. Patients with more serious symptoms would receive medical oxygen converted from industrial oxygen.

"We have envisioned the worst-case scenario... We have made calculations," he said. "Please do not underestimate that Indonesia is unable to manage the problem. For now we are able to. If cases reach 40,000, or 50,000, we have prepared a scenario on who we can seek help from."

Mr Luhut said accommodation infrastructure, including disused buildings, can be converted into isolation facilities in the worst-case scenario.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin yesterday said the government was adding nearly 8,000 new beds in the Greater Jakarta area, and also closely watching Sumatra and Kalimantan islands, the Associated Press reported.

Another report, by Bloomberg news agency yesterday, said Indonesia was preparing to import liquid oxygen from neighbouring countries to meet surging needs.

Mr Fridy Juwono, director for upstream chemicals at the Industry Ministry, was quoted as saying that producers Linde Group, Air Products and Chemicals Inc, Air Liquide and Iwatani Corp were ready to ship liquid oxygen to the country from facilities in Singapore and Malaysia, which would take one week to arrive.

He also said demand for oxygen supply on the island of Java has spiked to as much as five times the normal amount of about 300 tonnes a day. The country's oxygen plants are already operating at full capacity to produce 1,700 tonnes a day.

Java and Bali - which recorded 70 per cent of total infections in the country - are in lockdown until July 20 to curb the rapid spread of the virus, blamed on widespread travel during the Aidilfitri festive period and the highly contagious Delta variant.

Malls, places of worship and parks are shut, while restaurants can only provide takeaway and delivery services. Grocery stores and supermarkets must close by 8pm daily and limit customers to 50 per cent of capacity.

The authorities yesterday also tightened measures in 20 other provinces. In Jakarta, the epicentre of the outbreak, tents that served as makeshift intensive care units saw snaking queues.

Reports of shortage of hospital beds and oxygen have also emerged.