(Karachi) Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan has said that the country's oxygen production capacity is being increased to support the health system and counter an increasing number of Covid-19 infections.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Sultan said that Pakistan Steel Mills' (PSM) oxygen plant would be re-activated to meet the country's oxygen demand. "Using non-essential industries and importing oxygen can also be used to increase the supply," the SAPM said.

Regarding the COVID vaccine, he said the government does not rely on vaccine doses that have been received as either grants or gifts but it has also purchased about three million vaccine doses.

He highlighted that agreements have been inked to purchase 30 million more coronavirus doses. "Vaccine procurement process has been slow due to shortage of doses around the world," he stated.

Faisal mentioned that vaccine roll out under the COVAX program has also been delayed but it would resume as soon as the problem is resolved.

The SAPM pointed out that there are 1,200 vaccination centers across the country having the capacity to vaccinate around 5,000 people per day.

Meanwhile, the federal government has decided to import oxygen cylinders and concentrators to deal with increased oxygen supplies.

The Ministry of Industries has decided to import oxygen cylinders and concentrators and has conveyed the decision to the National Command Operations Centre (NCOC). The decision has been taken to ensure an uninterrupted supply of oxygen to the health sector in the country.