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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – With no sign of Hawaii’s COVID growth, hospitals are tackling a worrying new problem: all additional patients are straining the state’s oxygen supply.
Over the past month, as COVID hospitalizations have grown along with the count of infections, daily consumption of medical-grade oxygen has increased by 250%, according to officials. Hospital leaders held an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss ways to conserve the finite resource.
“When resources are scarce, we want to make sure we use oxygen properly,” said Hilton Raethel, head of the Hawaii Health Association.
He added that oxygen consumption in Hawaii has increased to the point that demand could soon exceed what the two production facilities in the state can supply.
Liquid or medical oxygen is used to treat patients with serious respiratory illnesses such as emphysema, lung cancer, and COVID-19.
“Normally, we have a lot on offer,” Raethel said.
“The challenge is the dramatic increase in hospitalizations for COVID during the month of August which has reached the point that we may need to provide oxygen from the continent.”
It is something that is rarely done.
What makes it even more of a challenge is the global shortage of ISO tanks, the containers needed to transport liquid oxygen through cargo ships.
The state is currently working with the federal government to find a solution.
Hawaii Pacific Health President and CEO Ray Vara recently directed staff in an internal note to conserve oxygen supply and “avoid the use of oxygen for anything that is optional.”
“Therefore, we will have to cancel all elective procedures in operating rooms and other places, including outpatient clinics, where oxygen may be needed. Any case that can be safely postponed should be deferred until the supply solutions ‘oxygen be clearer,’ he wrote. “At each HPH facility, surgical and facility leaders will activate review processes to help with these decisions.”
Lieutenant Governor Josh Green said the situation is even more worrying, as cases continue to escalate.
“As we enter Labor Day weekend, we should be cautious,” said Green, who encourages people to avoid meetings and stay home during the holidays.
As of Monday, there were 418 people hospitalized statewide with COVID.
Health officials say 88% of them are not vaccinated.
Meanwhile, hospitals continue to face staff shortages and help from the peninsula is slow to arrive. For the second week in a row, Hawaii hosted about 40 fewer traveling nurses than expected.
“We have 409 FEMA-funded staff in the state as of today. And we have another wave coming up next weekend, ”Raethel said.
He added that the two oxygen production sites in the state are operating at full capacity and now they only produce medical gas.
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