Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has said there is increase in number of COVID-19 patients that have breathing difficulty and in need of oxygen.

He said this when he activated an oxygen plant within the premises of the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), Yaba, to provide quick support to coronavirus patients that need oxygen therapy.  

He explained that the increased demand for oxygen to treat COVID-19 patients in the second wave of the pandemic prompted the activation of oxygen generation capacity in the state.

He added that the operation of the plant will significantly make oxygen available for COVID-19 patients and supply about 300 cylinders per day and six cylinders per hour for use of patients admitted at the isolation centres.

“We recognised the importance of generating oxygen because of the large number of patients who are currently on admission in our isolation centres and are largely depending on oxygen. This has resulted in an escalating and alarming demand for oxygen.

“The oxygen plant facility could not have come at a better time than now, when the state is recording an increase in the number of people presenting with difficulty in breathing and requiring urgent oxygen therapy,” he said.

The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) yesterday called on the Federal and State Governments to build more oxygen production centres across the states to ensure enough availability of oxygen in hospitals.