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

[grok]

Dr's complaining they cannot save lives due to lack of kit?
Gawd we finally starting to sound like a third-world shithole like Zimbabwe.

 

[crocopede]

On a similar note, how was R519Billion not enough to provision all hospitals with enough ventilators and oxygen?
Was any hospital furnished to prepare? Or did the ANC steal the entire 519Billion?

 

[RedViking]

No need to worry. There will be a sign in each ward:

"Please shout if you can't breath"


It has a similar function to the sign:

"Warning! Potholes for 5 kilometres"

 

[noxibox]

Here's an article that shows some of the issues that come with such high oxygen consumption
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/art...m-is-overwhelmed-we-are-traumatised-for-life/

If only the government had had months to prepare.

 

[Gordon_R]

If only the government had had months to prepare.

But we already achieved herd immunity last year. All the 'experts' on MyBB said so... /s

 

[ChuckNorris]

Heard somewhere they said the ventilators does not really work. They are administering pure oxygen up the 26l/min. Because of the big demand on oxygen a lot of hospitals are having problems with the structure that was build to hold the oxygen outside the hospital.

I saw you can order a oxygen consentrator on aliexpress for around R4k delivered. But it only goes up to 6l/min

 

[Oldfut]

I'm surprised that little emergency work has been put in place to deal with this; maybe hooking up road tanker trailers into the hospital system and that sort of thing rather than smaller tanks and cylinders. As long as ou Twakkie doesn't get a glowing zol involved.

 

[Gordon_R]

I'm surprised that little emergency work has been put in place to deal with this; maybe hooking up road tanker trailers into the hospital system and that sort of thing rather than smaller tanks and cylinders. As long as ou Twakkie doesn't get a glowing zol involved.

There are significant industrial safety implications with handling compressed and cryogenic gases. I don't think ad-hoc apparatus would be acceptable. There is a shortage of tankers, tanks, cylinders, as well as piping.

 

[Oldfut]

There are significant industrial safety implications with handling compressed and cryogenic gases. I don't think ad-hoc apparatus would be acceptable. There is a shortage of tankers, tanks, cylinders, as well as piping.

I'm sure there is a shortage of manufacturing capability as well, or was. But there should be, or was, the capability to ramp up to what is required, provided there is the payment. I know a little about gases; not oxygen specifically but methane, hydrogen and carbon monoxide (and dioxide separately), having been involved in a number of power and co-generation projects for quite a few years, and the other peripheral possibilities around the other gases from this.

 

[Gordon_R]

Slightly off-topic, but several countries are experiencing critical infrastructure problems:

Covid-19: Brazil hospitals 'run out of oxygen' for virus patients

Reports from Manaus say medical staff are begging for help in a critical situation due to Covid-19.

www.bbc.com

 

[Gordon_R]

Shortage of cylinders, refills, oxygen concentrators, and load shedding:

Emergency oxygen tanks are sold out – as load shedding cripples home-use concentrators

Load shedding can be deadly for in-home patients reliant on oxygen concentrators. And the cost of back-up power is unaffordable to some.

www.businessinsider.co.za

 

[Gordon_R]

WTF, unbelievable incompetence:

Maverick Citizen: Eastern Cape: WhatsApp error leads to oxygen trouble for Eastern Cape Department of Health

A misread Whatsapp message has landed the acting superintendent-general of the Eastern Cape Department of Health, Dr Sibongile Zungu, in hot water after she told Parliament last week that the provincial treasury was looking for other sources of medical oxygen because of a letter sent to them by...

www.dailymaverick.co.za

 

[ponder]

I saw you can order a oxygen consentrator on aliexpress for around R4k delivered. But it only goes up to 6l/min

Buy six...