Emergency oxygen tanks are sold out â as load shedding cripples home-use concentrators
Jan 19, 2021, 11:37 AM
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Oxygen concentrator (Getty Images)
Patients who rely on private oxygen concentrators at home are at risk due to Eskom load shedding.
There is a national shortage of oxygen cylinders, used during emergencies like power cuts, and expensive portable units are only recommended for supplementary use.
Batteries and inverters can be used to power oxygen concentrators – but cost around R8,000.
This safety mechanism pushes the price of an entry-level concentrator beyond R20,000.
Eskom’s electricity rationing is disruptive at the best of times - and the added pressure placed on patients requiring oxygen can be deadly, as South Africa battles its second wave of coronavirus infections.