Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC) has stated COVID-19 treatment facilities have enough supplies of oxygen and the Maldives is not facing any difficulties bringing in more supplies.
In a press conference held by the HEOC, Spokesperson at the President's Office Mohamed Mabrook Azeez showed the latest data regarding the current oxygen capacity in the Maldives. Mabrook said each COVID-19 treatment facility has a reserve of 250 jumbo oxygen cylinders and the total stock contains 2,402 jumbo oxygen cylinders.
The spokesperson said the government has also established oxygen plants in various parts of the country to increase oxygen capacity. He noted the oxygen plant in Addu City has the capacity to produce 48 jumbo cylinders per day, while the plant in Kulhudhuffushi City can produce 20 cylinders per day. He added that Maldive Gas has three plants in operation that has the capacity to produce 240 jumbo oxygen cylinders per day.
Regarding the testing capacity in the country, Spokesperson Mabrook said the Ministry of Health's stock contains 35,000 testing kits and the State Trading Organisation (STO)'s stock contains 73,000 testing kits. He said the country has the capacity to conduct 2,000 PCR tests in Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), 500 PCR tests in Hulhumale' Hospital, as well as 1,000 tests at the police laboratory per day. He also said atoll facilities such as Addu Equatorial Hospital, Kulhudhuffushi Regional Hospital, and facilities in Dharavandhoo of Baa Atoll and Kudahuvadhoo of Dhaalu Atoll have the capacity to conduct 300 PCR tests per day and around seven atolls have GeneXpert machines that can conduct 48 tests per day.