RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The largest hospital oxygen supplier in Brazil, multinational firm White Martins, reported on Monday that it has not yet noticed an exponential increase in demand for oxygen in public and private healthcare networks in any region of Brazil other than Manaus.
“So far, we have realized that the health situation experienced in Manaus is not reflected in other regions in Brazil,” said the company, which is present in all states across the country.
“Between July and November 2020, consumption was in line with the average of the pandemic’s first wave, with a slight increase due to the expansion of hospitals through the installation of new beds and ventilators. In December 2020, oxygen consumption rates began to increase when compared to preceding months, but very far from a sudden and exponential growth as seen in Manaus,” reads the text.
Since the collapse of the Manaus hospital network, which saw the average number of Covid-19 deaths rise three-fold between December and January, concerns had been growing that the crisis could spread to other states, particularly neighboring ones.
Last week, Ministry of Health officials alerted that oxygen could become scarce in Roraima, which in ordinary circumstances typically receives its supply from Amazonas. Like its neighbor, the state also received more than 10,000 liters of oxygen from the Venezuelan government last week – the supply had been requested by the State Health Secretariat.
On Monday, the State Audit Court of Pará (TCM-PA) reported that 96 of the 144 municipalities in the state have insufficient oxygen stocks for a potential “critical scenario”. Municipalities in the interior of Pará bordering Amazonas have experienced oxygen shortages and were forced to transfer patients on January 20th.
In addition to the oxygen issue, northern states have been struggling with a shortage of ICU beds and healthcare professionals to assist patients with the novel coronavirus. The issue is that with each expansion of the hospital structure the consumption of supplies, including oxygen, has also increased.
In its note, White Martins also emphasized that “as any supplier, it is unable to predict an abrupt or exponential growth in demand.” The responsibility for such assessments would rest with healthcare institutions, which are required to ” formally and timely notify supplier companies of any real or potential increase in the volume of gases,” according to the text.
The collapse of the Manaus healthcare system and the responsibility of the parties involved in the crisis are under investigation by the Federal Police in an inquiry conducted under judicial seal at the Federal Supreme Court (STF).
Source: Veja