Sole distributors of medical oxygen in Jamaica, IGL Limited, says it continues to do all it can to ensure adequate supplies of the precious commodity amid the deadly third wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The company, in a statement, responded to comments by Prime Minister Andrew Holness during Wednesday night’s (September 2) press conference that it was a ‘faithful partner’ in supplying the life-saving commodity. 

“I think there is a movement to blame and argue and quarrel—that is important because we need to get at the root cause of problems, so that’s not saying we shouldn’t do that, but I’m saying that in the midst of a pandemic, what is important is that everyone who is involved worked very hard so that when there is this ‘force majeure’ where the supply chain was disrupted, in a day, we are able to make connections and then in the following day you would have seen videos where our port workers, customs, security forces worked overtime to have the containers come here with oxgyen,” Holness stated when asked if the Government planned for a third wave and the impacts increased hospitalisations, oxygen demands would have on the public health sector. 

“Now, that’s not a solution long-term to the problem, it just stops the gap but the Government is working behind the scenes with our partners to ensure that we can have a more robust solution and the logistics involved in that is immense,” he added.

IGL argued, however, the Government of Jamaica could have done more to prevent the critical oxygen shortage faced by several of the country’s hospitals last weekend.

According to the company, the “solution” stares the Holness administration right in the face as repeated requests by IGL to ascertain the country’s needs were not answered. 

“Despite current contracts not being in place except with one of the Regional Health Authorities, which requested and was granted a six-month extension, IGL, despite numerous efforts for years prior to the onset of the pandemic, was not successful in having other contracts put in place,” the company indicated. 

See statement in full below: 

“IGL Limited (IGL) is doing all it can to ensure adequate supplies of medical oxygen to Jamaica in COVID-19. Despite current contracts not being in place except with one of the Regional Health Authorities, which requested and was granted a six-month extension, IGL despite numerous efforts for years prior to the onset of the pandemic was not successful in having other contracts put in place. 

In 2018, IGL invested over US$10 million in a local oxygen-producing plant which has provided a critical supply source during the pandemic. As demand increased in many countries, exports of the product to other countries (including Jamaica) were reduced and/or prohibited. Some companies have even declared “force majeure” and have stopped shipping and this has caused a disruption in imports from these sources. Many of IGL’s traditional suppliers are now dealing with their own Government’s prohibitions on export.

Peter Graham, Managing Director, said that even without a response to repeated requests for forecasts of requirements from the authorities for medical oxygen, in recent months, IGL invested millions of Jamaican dollars in the upscaling of facilities/storage and distribution capacity along with the procurement of hundreds of additional oxygen cylinders deployed across the island while collaborating with the medical authorities to ensure the best possible care for all patients requiring medical oxygen, including non-COVID-19 patients. This resulted in effective and efficient management of Medical Oxygen over several months. 

Noting that the demand for medical oxygen rose to unprecedented levels in recent weeks due to the pandemic, Graham said “Our workers have been on the frontline producing and delivering oxygen, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Right now, we are supplying up to three and four times the normal requirement with a combination of local production and imported product.”

He explained that demand for medical oxygen escalated locally as infection rates rose and exceeded the output capacity of the local manufacturing plant, so that the supply had to be met with imports complementing the volume produced locally. Imports are now more uncertain given the dramatic spread of the Delta variant in our main supply territories. 

Graham noted that notwithstanding the circumstances IGL has been able to forge new relationships with alternative sources leveraging our broad international network and shipments of medical oxygen have already begun to arrive. However, as positive cases continue to rise in Jamaica there will be need for even more supplies and here is where the Government and its external relationships are now critical. These relationships, Graham said, have proven important in allowing the National Health Fund to import vaccines and may also be helpful with respect to sourcing much needed medical oxygen as COVID-19 infection rates continue to rise. 

IGL, he said, as a responsible partner is willing to work with the Government of Jamaica in whatever way is possible as it has always done in service to the nation for over sixty years.”

Also, watch Prime Minister Holness’ response:

Hospitals across the island ground to a halt and patients gasped for air as medical oxygen stores all but dried up over the weekend.

The critical shortage not only affected those COVID-positive; others unrelated to the infectious disease, such as premature babies, sickle-cell anaemia and asthma patients, as well as pregnant women about to undergo C-section operations were all affected.