Fears over oxygen shortage amid South Africa's COVID-19 surge

Hanno Labuschagne

Hanno Labuschagne

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Fears over oxygen shortage amid South Africa's COVID-19 surge

Medical-grade oxygen usage is surging in South Africa amid a second wave of coronavirus infections, leaving suppliers struggling to keep pace with demand.

As infection rates and deaths reach records, Air Liquide SA, Afrox Healthcare Ltd. and Air Products are boosting deliveries to hospitals, with some now taking place daily rather than weekly.

Air Liquide mainly supplies private hospitals, while Afrox supplies mostly government facilities.

[Bloomberg]
 
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JohnStarr

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Had to get a large cannister of oxygen for my father who is bed-ridden. R3000 for the bottle, and then R1200 for a refill the next day.
People are going to ride this shortage for all it's worth which is very sad.
 
Budza

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ZA_Chamber said:
Had to get a large cannister of oxygen for my father who is bed-ridden. R3000 for the bottle, and then R1200 for a refill the next day.
People are going to ride this shortage for all it's worth which is very sad.
Click to expand...
What were the prices this time last year?
 
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JohnStarr

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Budza said:
What were the prices this time last year?
Click to expand...
I have no idea. My father didn't need an oxygen tank at that stage. Unfortunately even with pneumonia and being frail, the private hospital we had him sent too (because we can't go with) deemed him not sick enough for a bed. And since he never had Covid, they wouldn't have given him one either.
When this last happened in November 2019 they admitted him for 3 days. Now he got sent home. So we know, but only from this experience, how much they're charging for an oxygen tank.

Anyone else here able to speak from experience on how much a large tank of O2 cost a couple of months ago?
 
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JohnStarr

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SAguy said:
Would scuba tanks and scuba grade oxygen not be of use?
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Don't think so. He had a stroke a few years ago, but this is the first time with pneumonia that he has not been admitted to a private hospital and instead been sent home. Never had to get oxygen before.
 
Hemi300c

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So the "commamd" council" fvcks up again and crook in a doek too busy trying to get cigarettes band for the zuma clang instead of planning correctly.

/dnra
 
randomcat

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We need oxygen concentrators. Quite a few family members needed oxygen but the hospital would not have let them in. Put them on oxygen concentrators and gave them antibiotics and vitamins. Within a week they are looking much better. We borrowed it, it's normally about R14k a machine. It helps the people who are not sick enough for hospital but who will need to go,if left untreated.
 
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randomcat said:
We need oxygen concentrators. Quite a few family members needed oxygen but the hospital would not have let them in. Put them on oxygen concentrators and gave them antibiotics and vitamins. Within a week they are looking much better. We borrowed it, it's normally about R14k a machine. It helps the people who are not sick enough for hospital but who will need to go,if left untreated.
Click to expand...

There is an open source oxygen concentrator project on github: https://github.com/RepRapLtd/Oxygen-concentrator

Update: Looked into it a bit more and it seems that this project is not completed and seems to be on hold. However there is another source with DIY tutorials : http://www.oxikit.com/
 
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