Gas suppliers ramp up production to ensure enough oxygen for Western, Eastern Cape

The Eastern Cape has seen a significant increase in the demand for oxygen in recent weeks, after  its Nelson Mandela Bay Metro and Sarah Baartman districts were identified as the country’s leading Covid-19 hotspots, along with the Garden Route in the Western Cape.

This has seen a major national gas supplier ramp up their supply to the province, in order to assure those in need of oxygen and ventilation don’t run out of air.

The situation along the Garden Route, however, seems to be reaching a critical stage. Knysna Provincial Hospital had to have additional oxygen delivered by the Western Cape government this week, to support 30 critically ill patients in need of assistance. 

Premier Alan Winde said the daily use of oxygen in the province has more than doubled during the second wave of Covid-19 infections. 

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Cases have increased by more than 50% in the province in the past week. There are currently 18 296 active cases. More than 1 500 patients have been hospitalised, 287 of them in intensive care units. 

Within frontline worker Covid-19 cases, 312 have so far been infected. 

Multinational gas giant Afrox told The Citizen that they are keeping up to date with infection rates in order to ensure the demand does not outweigh the supply.

“We are working closely with medical facilities to streamline demand planning and logistics to aid healthcare facilities and frontline workers combat a Covid-19 second wave,” said Afrox communications manager Nolundi Rawana.

She reported Afrox seeing “a significant increase” in oxygen demand in the Eastern Cape, but only a slight one in the Western Cape.

Luckily, she said Afrox is able to “substantially ramp up supplies as needed going forward”, including bulk and cylinder supplies, and can divert supply from other sectors.

“As the company also supplies non-medical grade oxygen into industry and various industrial applications, Afrox has the ability divert supply from these sectors and refine product to medical grade standard.”

Along the Garden Route, hospitals are under severe pressure, with Winde saying the growing number of Covid-19 cases are inevitably “colliding” with increasing trauma cases due to the festive season. 

In November, Winde said that trauma admissions had increased by 36%, blaming alcohol abuse as the main reason, followed by inter-personal violence, and car accidents. 

Metro hospitals are currently averaging occupancy rates of 81%, and rural hospitals at 84%. 

“Fortunately, the Western Cape Department runs its health platform as a single system, where the total number of beds in places like the metro is looked at in its entirety.

“This means that while we are near capacity in some areas, we still have beds available in the overall system,” Winde said.

Special restrictions

Nelson Mandela Bay has been issued a unique set of regulations pertaining to curfews and alcohol sales.

Their curfew is now from 10pm to 4am. The sale of alcohol from retail outlets has been limited as well, only selling between 10am and 6pm from Monday to Thursday.

Gatherings may also not be attended by more than 100 people if indoors, or 250 people for outdoor events.

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