Medical-grade oxygen usage is surging in South Africa amid a second wave of coronavirus infections, leaving suppliers struggling to keep pace with demand.
As infection rates and deaths reach records, Air Liquide SA, Afrox Healthcare Ltd. and Air Products are boosting deliveries to hospitals, with some now taking place daily rather than weekly. Air Liquide mainly supplies private hospitals, while Afrox supplies mostly government facilities.
“Consumption from our hospital customers has increased by three to four times,” Air Liquide said in a response to queries. “Some regions have experienced a more than six-fold increase, while some specific hospitals have experienced an as much as 10-fold increase in consumption.”