Syria's Oxygen Aid Insufficient to Cover Lebanon's Increased Demands - Hospital Chiefs

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th March, 2021) A batch of 75 tonnes of oxygen, sent by Syria as assistance to Lebanon, will hardly suffice to cover the needs of more than one hospital with patients on lung ventilation, Lebanese hospital chiefs told Sputnik on Wednesday.

According to Dr. Firas El Abyad, Director General of the Rafic Hariri University Hospital in Beirut, Lebanon's oxygen consumption rate has increased by six to seven times since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

"The Rafic Hariri University Hospital on its own used to consume 20 tonnes of oxygen per month, whereas now we consume between 120 and 140 tonnes a month. Therefore, the 75 tonnes of oxygen sent by Syria will barely last us two weeks if our hospital receives them on its own," the doctor explained.

He explained that his hospital had some 90 operational ventilation machines at full capacity, and noted that the facility had oxygen resources to last for several days. The country is expecting the 75-tonne batch from Syria within three days.

Dr. Jean Homsi, Director General of the Elais Hrawi Government Hospital in the Lebanese city of Zahle, said that his facility spends about 5,000 liters of oxygen every three days, adding that his hospital was likely to be the largest oxygen consumer in the Beqaa Valley region in eastern Lebanon.

"We have 13 COVID-19 ICUs, 12 COVID beds, in addition to Neonatal Intensive Care and Pediatric Intensive Care units that consume a lot of oxygen," Homsi specified.

The doctor also noted that he had learned about the issue with oxygen supply in the country from the news media.

Homsi noted that he had learned about the upcoming delivery of a 75-tonne batch of oxygen from Syria from media reports.

"We have heard about the shipment of oxygen from Syria over the news," the doctor said.

Under the order of Syrian President Bashar Assad, 75 tonnes of oxygen were sent to Lebanon on Wednesday.