Hugo López-Gatell, Undersecretary of Health, released his position on the over-demand for oxygen tanks that has been registered in the country as a result of the COVID-19, where several people have anticipated and rented them without presenting symptoms.
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López-Gatell pointed out that the use of oxygen tanks should only be done with a prescription, since its incorrect use could bring health problems.
“If your doctor prescribes you to have an oxygen tank at home, go ahead, but you should not do it for your own motivation, without information,” said the undersecretary.
He also detailed some of the problems that excessive use of oxygen could bring to the health of patients.
information/ampproject" data-auto-format="rspv" data-multi-size="300x250,320x50" data-multi-size-validation="false" data-enable-refresh="30" layout="fixed" rtc-config="{"vendors":{"lotame":{"CLIENT_ID":"12575","AD_NETWORK":"DC"}}}" class="i-amphtml-layout-fixed i-amphtml-layout-size-defined" style="width:300px;height:250px;" i-amphtml-layout="fixed"/> “The use of oxygen is not something that can be self-prescribed or self-organized because the concentration of oxygen that we receive, through a device, can have adverse health effects. High concentrations of oxygen in the respiratory tract, for prolonged periods, can cause, in the least of cases, dryness and oscillatory damage to the inner surface of the respiratory system, and this is adverse ”, he continued.
For this reason, he recommended not to anticipate and wait for the first symptoms to appear before going to the doctor and that it is the specialist who prescribes the use of oxygen tanks.
“In the case of COVID, it could result in a delay in the medical evaluation. The person already has the oxygen tank, they have it at home and the moment they present symptoms of COVID they feel safe, their tank is there, they wait a few days, until the lung damage is too extensive. It is very important not to burn stages, not to abbreviate the process and to always maintain general precautions: safe distance, wash hands, wear face masks, protect sneezes and do not leave the house. We recommend not doing this procedure with oxygen tanks ”, he explained.
He pointed out that the authorities are already aware of these practices that a certain sector of the population is adopting, while pointing out that there are two companies that control the market for medicinal gases in the country.
“We have become aware that in some states, including Mexico City, there has been a lease or a leasing process of excess demand for oxygen tanks. This has several commercial and medical implications. In Mexico, for many decades there has been an absolute concentration of the market for oxygen tanks and, in general, what we technically call medicinal gases, both for the supply of hospitals and for portable tanks. Two national companies control the entire medicinal gas market ”, he concluded.
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With information from the Ministry of Health
JPG
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