The price of medical oxygen bottles at the Indian black market soared

Shortages of medical equipment are occurring in countries ravaged by Covid-19. In India alone, oxygen cylinders have become precious items like gold.
According to the Reuters , oxygen tank shortages are occurring in many hospitals in India. On the black market, oxygen cylinders become a sought-after item with prices many times higher than normal.

Oxygen infusion is an important treatment for lethal virus positive patients. However, on April 22, 6 hospitals in India announced this essential item. According to the Indian Express If the country of 1.3 billion people continues to report hundreds of thousands of new cases every day, the demand for medical oxygen cylinders will rise sharply in 12 states of India. The case crisis caused the price of these medical devices to skyrocket. According to the Times of India , to buy an oxygen tank, the buyer has to spend 250–330 USD. Even, many advertisements for selling oxygen cylinders with prices ranging from 400–460 USD appeared rampant on social networks. Share with AFP On April 22, an Indian man said he had to pay $ 600 per bottle of oxygen, which was nine times higher than before the outbreak. According to World Bank data, the total annual income of the people of India is only about $ 2,120. The number of Coivd-19 infections in India has skyrocketed, making the price of medical oxygen cylinders extremely expensive here. Photo: Getty. The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the demand for medical oxygen is skyrocketing in 25 countries around the world, especially Africa. More than half a million patients with Covid-19 require oxygen therapy every day, meaning hospitals need 1.1 million oxygen cylinders to use within 24 hours. Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Egypt, Nigeria and other countries all declared a shortage of oxygen tanks as the number of cases increased. Worth mentioning, families of critical patients are forced to find and buy medical oxygen cylinders on the black market to save their loved ones’ lives. According to the Guardian, in Peru by 2020, the price of an oxygen tank was once pushed up to $ 1,000. In the UK, the Washington Post notes that a woman pays $ 1,300 for an oxygen tank, 1,000% more expensive than usual. According to the New York Times The 7-fold increase in the demand for medical oxygen in Mexico has enabled the black market to thrive. There are disputes and blocking of oxygen vehicles in some places, local reports say. Not long after, the price of medical oxygen cylinders sold on the black market had tripled. Brazil also experiences medical oxygen deficiencies during times of alarming number of cases. In Manaus, a city in Brazil, to buy a 50-liter oxygen tank, families have to pay nearly $ 1,200, 6.5 times more expensive than usual. However, the black market is not the only reason why the price of this medical device soared. Traffic and infrastructure are also factors that make this happen. Medical oxygen is usually produced by factories and cooled during transportation. In developed countries, oxygen is usually transported in a liquid form, making them less space-consuming and saving on transportation costs. However, the underdeveloped countries are only capable of transporting medical oxygen as a gas. Compared to the central hospital in London, hospitals in Kenya and Nigeria have to pay five to ten times more to buy a medical oxygen tank, according to the Press Bureau in the UK. According to the The Times At Mexico’s most difficult times, an oxygen tank cost more than $ 800, 10 times the cost of a US hospital. According to the Indian Express Most states in India have diverted oxygen production. Instead of serving industrial needs like the manufacture of steel, iron and glass, oxygen will be used largely for medical purposes. However, transportation in the country of 1.3 billion people remains a major obstacle. In particular, the centers of medical oxygen production are concentrated mainly in the East, while the demand for this item is increasing in other areas. The logistics costs were padded, pushing the price of an oxygen tank five times, from about $ 5 to $ 26. All India Radio News said the Indian police have been straightforward to prevent the proliferation of the “black oxygen” market. The state government of Uttar Pradesh announced that it would invoke the National Security Act and the Black Society Act to combat these marketing practices. In addition, in response to the crisis, India is planning to import 50,000 tons of medical oxygen. At the same time, the country is also setting up the “Oxygen Express” train to supply states severely affected by the epidemic. This train will depart from the Bokaro steel plant, carrying liquid oxygen. The Indian government has received much criticism for not upgrading its infrastructure from scratch to avoid the current shortages. “We did not plan this shortage even though we knew the second crisis was coming,” Dr. Lalit Kant, an epidemiologist, told the BBC.