Covid-19: Oxygen production by private companies in Brazil has increased up to 200%

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The National Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) published, this Thursday, March 25th, a survey showing that, thanks to the relaxation of procedures and rules by the agency, private companies were able to expand the production and packaging of the gas by up to 200%.

Also on Thursday, a new company received permission to operate in the Brazilian market. To produce, bottle, or fill medical oxygen, it is necessary to have an operating authorization obtained from ANVISA.

Hearing

A public hearing at the Chamber of Deputies discussed the risk of oxygen shortage and its impacts on the care of Covid-19 patients. The special advisor to the executive secretary of the Ministry of Health, Ridauto Fernandes, pointed out that the biggest problem is in health units in the interior. “Small hospitals do not have cryogenic devices to receive liquid oxygen. Because of this natural lack of structure, these units depend on gaseous oxygen“, he warned.

The secretary of Specialized Health Care of the Ministry of Health, Luiz Otávio Duarte, said that state and municipal health secretaries have been instructed to demand contingency plans from the companies contracted to supply oxygen.

Duarte defended the action of the ministry in the oxygen shortage crisis in Manaus at the beginning of the year. The then Health Minister, Eduardo Pazuello, is being investigated by the Prosecutor General’s Office to determine his responsibilities for this episode.

Tocantins state health secretary, Edgar Tolini, reported that oxygen consumption has increased up to six times in the state and agreed that the problem is occurring nationwide. “I think it’s an option to use not only oxygen tanks but another container,” he proposed.

Panel

This week ANVISA started to make available the data on production, bottling, and distribution of oxygen on its website. The first data, for the period March 13 to 17, shows a universe of 100 companies working in oxygen production. From the total provided, 71.7% were private companies, 25.9% were government institutions, and 2.46% were distributors.

Source: Agência Brasil

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