With the surge in coronavirus cases amid the third wave, there have been numerous reports of acute oxygen shortages in Pakistan as well. This has also given an opportunity to hoarders and profiteers to exploit the situation and hike up the prices in times of desperation.
Fearing that situation could turn worse like India, where public hospitals ran out of supplies and coronavirus patients were seen begging for oxygen on pavements, the government has taken note of the situation. The oxygen plant at the defunct Steel Mills is being revived amid an impending shortage. The new Science Minister Shibli Faraz, however, has refused to revive the plant which has been shuttered for over seven years citing gas requirements. He has also expressed concerns about the quality of ventilators being produced in the country which only have four functions and are not useful in the situation. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the 90 percent of oxygen is being consumed and imports will not make much difference.
The government is making efforts to stock up the oxygen supplies but this cannot happen overnight. The oxygen plant at PSM can produce 500 tonnes oxygen daily but it has remained closed since 2015 and lies in a dilapidated state. The rehabilitation will require the support of French experts, will take over a month, and can cost over a billion rupees. Thus, the government does not seen in a mood to revive the plant anytime soon given the huge costs that it entails.
Pakistan has seen a sudden surge in coronavirus cases with nearly 100 deaths daily for past several weeks while we are recording over 5,000 cases regularly. There have been strict restrictions in many cities and even the army has been deployed to ensure the implementation of COVID-19 SOPS. Since the third wave began, there were already reports of oxygen shortages in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. There have also been a shortage of beds and ventilators in hospitals. The situation in Sindh is even turning for the worse.
The government might have acted too late taking notice and oxygen shortages are inevitable if the situation worsens. The only other option is adhering to safety precautions and taking stern action against violators. It is responsibility of the people to ensure that the situation does not worsen or we would also witness the cataclysmic situation in India.
