DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire talks with reporters via Zoom meeting in this file photo taken on April 23, 2020. INQUIRER.net file photo / Daphne Galvez
MANILA, Philippines — The government is discussing how it can regulate the sale of oxygen tanks in preparation for the possible impact of the COVID-19 Delta variant in the country’s healthcare system, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.
“We are discussing on how we can regulate,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told INQUIRER.net in a text message when asked if the government is considering regulating the sale of oxygen tanks.
Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, country representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), earlier said hospital authorities should start stocking up on oxygen supplies in preparation for a Delta surge.
“We need to see how we can mobilize additional oxygen sources because we’ve seen the Delta variant cause a significant demand in many countries, initially India, now Indonesia and Myanmar. We’ve seen that hospitals are running short of oxygen supplies,” he noted.
In April when the country saw a spike in COVID-19 cases, the DOH also advised suppliers to regulate the sale of oxygen tanks to prevent its shortage in hospitals.
The Department of Trade and Industry later said it was in talks with oxygen tank manufacturers to increase their production.
The DOH has so far confirmed 450 cases of the highly transmissible Delta variant, including 13 cases that remain active.