Amid surging COVID-19 cases in Nepal, people are resorting to hoarding oxygen cylinders at home, further exacerbating oxygen shortage in the country. The government has asked people not to hoard cylinders, reported The Himalayan Times. 

In a statement this week, the country’s health ministry has asked the people not to hoard cylinders in homes. It also asked people to deposit their cylinders to nearby hospitals or local block-level offices.

Furthermore, oxygen manufacturers and suppliers have been directed not to issue cylinders to people directly. They have been asked to cooperate and consult with local block-level offices for the management of oxygen supplies. 

In an earlier order, authorities had asked suppliers and manufacturers not to sell any cylinders without government permission. 

The direction to regulate oxygen supply came after more than a hundred people died due to oxygen shortage in different hospitals in Nepal. 

The country capital, Kathmandu Valley, alone has a requirement of over 14,000 to 15,000 cylinders in a day. However, suppliers in the valley have a total capacity of just 8000 cylinders in a day. The rest are being filled from distant areas. 

(SAM)