Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2021-05-24

Accelerating treatments for COVID-19 patients

- The critically ill patients among the most of patients diagnosed under the third wave of COVID – 19 are required to be treated under oxygen concentrators. Accordingly, proposals made by the Minister of Health to take expeditious action as follows to ensure the medical oxygen supply for the critically ill patients, were approved by the Cabinet.

• Establishment of High Dependency Units with Wall Oxygen Outlets enabling to treat the critically ill patients in 25 Hospitals identified Provincial level covering the whole Island.

• Installation of 15 Oxygen Concentrators in 15 identified hospitals located in remote areas to secure medical oxygen supply required for hospitals.

• Providing 2500 Portable Oxygen Concentrators by 100 machines per each district thereby reducing the requirement of Cylinder-based oxygen supply.

• maintenance of adequate stock of Oxygen in the country having imported 120,000 litres of Liquefied Oxygen monthly in order to meet the increasing demand for medical Oxygen.