Health Minister Zahid Malek said there was nothing to worry about the supply of oxygen in the country. He said oxygen was imported from India only when there was a lot of demand during Corona. Imports have been stopped for the last four to five days.
The demand is being met in the country. The Health Minister told reporters at the premises of Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons in Mohakhali on Tuesday afternoon. "We don't just work with liquid oxygen," he said. Central oxygen has been lined up.
Hospitals already had oxygen. There is no shortage of gas and oxygen in Bangladesh. It has a lot of production capacity. The health minister said that if the number of patients who need oxygen in the country becomes 21,000 instead of 7,000, then there will be a crisis. Crisis has also occurred in the United States, Europe and India due to the increase in the number of patients. In our country, the number of patients has decreased.
Demand for oxygen has also declined. He added that many industries produce liquid oxygen, which has also been reserved. 40 to 50 hospitals in the country have been asked to use gas and oxygen. The health minister said that the production of oxygen in the country is about 150 tons in the private sector. It is liquid oxygen.
And gas mask oxygen 250 to 300 tons. Daily oxygen demand in the country is 125 to 150 tons. So far, Bangladesh is in a fairly good position. Oxygen will not be a problem if there is no extra pressure. 40 tons used in the industrial sector are also booked. If necessary, it will also be used for patients. Mentioning that there is a business and international politics going on with vaccines, the health minister said, there is tension over vaccines. The raw material for making vaccines is in short supply in India. Among the countries that applied for the vaccine were the Chinese vaccine and Russia's Sputnik - the two official vaccine papers. The rest are at the application stage.
Activities do not stop. Approval has come a long way. Approval will be given in a few days. Mentioning the adherence to health rules to prevent infection, the health minister said that 70 to 80 percent of infections and deaths occur in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna City Corporation areas. People in these areas need to be vigilant and adhere to health rules. The health minister further said that lockdown is not the only solution. It is an effective measure to reduce infection. Reduced lockdown all over the world.
However, there are negative aspects of lockdown. He said that lockdown causes economic loss, loss of education, increase in poverty rate, increase in social instability.
Today, the infection rate has come down from 24 to 13 percent due to the lockdown. This is not a long-term solution. The long-term and effective solution is to follow hygiene rules, avoid crowding and get vaccinated.
