An oxygen refilling station at VICASA Steel JSC in Đồng Nai Province. Companies under the Việt Nam Steel Corporation have been supplying free oxygen to help treat COVID-19 patients. – VNA Photo Đức Dũng

HCM CITY – Several steel companies owned by the Việt Nam Steel Corporation have been supplying oxygen and oxygen cylinders for free to medical facilities to meet the rising demand for treating COVID-19 patients.

Three companies in the south have been instructed by the corporation to work with the local Department of Health to supply oxygen, cylinders and other equipment to help fight the pandemic.

One of them, VICASA Steel JSC in Đồng Nai Province, has been refilling oxygen for free at the Thủ Đức Field Hospital in HCM City and Đồng Nai Department of Health, and it is likely to rise to 100 cylinders of 40 litres per day.

It has also lent 175 cylinders to various hospitals.

The Southern Steel Company Limited in Thủ Đức Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Province has lent nearly 200 40-litre cylinders to a local medical centre and Thủ Đức City’s Lê Văn Thịnh Hospital.

Thủ Đức Steel JSC in HCM City has supplied 150 cylinders to Lê Văn Thịnh Hospital, and set up a refilling station to support mobile medical units that can provide 300 cylinders a day.

The Việt Nam Young Entrepreneurs Association has been calling on businesses to donate oxygen to medical facilities and 400 mobile medical stations.

Other steel businesses across the country are also setting up refill stations or are prepared to supply large quantities of oxygen when needed.

HCM City has been the COVID epicentre with more than 309,000 cases since the fourth wave began a few months ago.

It is currently monitoring more than 100,000 patients in hospitals or at home.

Demand for oxygen for treating patients is on the rise, with the rate of patients needing oxygen being around 9.5 per cent on average in the country, according to the Ministry of Health.

The Air Force has been instructed by the Ministry of National Defence to maintain oxygen production to supply HCM City hospitals. – VNS