The delivery of more than 100 tonnes of medical oxygen to Martinique should make it possible to prevent any risk of shortage in an island which, like its neighbor Guadeloupe, is experiencing an explosion of cases of the Delta variant of Covid-19.

Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces, announced on Monday a first trip by the Dumont d'Urville ship of the French Navy to deliver oxygen to the West Indies, hit hard by the fourth wave of the epidemic.

Left on August 15 from Guyana, he "should dock in Fort-de-France on August 19 to make these oxygen stocks available to the Regional Health Agency," said his press release.

If Martinique is not currently experiencing a shortage of oxygen, it is a question of preventing possible tensions, specified the Ministry of Overseas.

This supply must also concern Guadeloupe, according to the local regional health agency.

Possible tensions for patients at home

In the meantime, "establishments and suppliers claim to be in control of the situation to date," wrote the ARS of Guadeloupe in a press release sent Friday evening.

Even if “oxygen consumption has increased very significantly (…) consumption is monitored daily” and “suppliers have increased their supply of gaseous and liquid oxygen”.

“All of the oxygen production capacity of our air gas separation unit located in Martinique is now dedicated to the production of medical oxygen.

To date, the quantities of medical oxygen delivered have multiplied by 8 in Martinique and by 6 in Guadeloupe ”, indicated the Air Liquide group, one of the main suppliers of medical oxygen in the world, requested by AFP.

According to the ARS, however, the situation is a little more complicated outside the hospital: “ten providers are authorized in town” for medical oxygen, delivered at home from oxygen concentrators, “that's what it is. level that tensions exist given the sudden increase in demand ”, explains the press release of the ARS.

The ARS also warns: "If the patients cannot benefit from oxygen at home, they will be hospitalized in medicine while waiting".

At the end of last week, the incidence rate was more than 2,015 cases per 100,000 people in Guadeloupe, nearly 1,200 for Martinique.

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  • Antivaccine

  • West Indies

  • Guadeloupe

  • Martinique

  • Covid 19

  • Coronavirus

  • Society