Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - As the number of COVID-19 cases has surged since the fourthwave hit the country in late April, the need for chemical products like oxygenand disinfectants have increased, requiring chemical producers to ramp upproduction to meet market demand.

Vietnamrecorded a total of over 6,000 local COVID-19 in the current fourth waveof infections since late April to date, while the death toll rose to55, most of whom with serious underlying illnesses.

BacGiang remains the biggest hot spot in the country in this wave with over3,300 infections, followed by the outbreak in Bac Ninh with caseload surpassing1,100.

Torespond quickly in case the number of patients keeps surging, medicalunits, hospitals, airlines, and industrial parks have stored oxygen andother important chemical products.

Localchemical manufacturers have increased their inventories in order to ensureproducts are available to meet the market needs.

Forexample, oxygen inventories in the warehouse of Industrial Gas and WeldingElectrode JSC (Sovigaz), a leading state-owned company in producing oxygen,industrial gas, rod electrodes and chemicals in Vietnam, are 1.5 times higherthan that of the same period last year, the company said.

Withthe current nationwide consumption of 3,000 – 4,000 tonnes of oxygen per month,the chemical manufacturer said that it could meet the whole country'sdemand without increasing the price as its production capacity is 7,000tonnes per month, double the current demand.

Thecompany’s oxygen supply accounts for over 60 per cent of the total market sharewith nearly 100 big hospitals, such as Cho Ray Hospital and Tu Du Hospital in HoChi Minh City, or Vietnam-Czechoslovak Friendship Hospital in Hai PhongCity, using its products.

Oneof the two production lines of Sovigaz can supply 180 tonnes of oxygen per dayto the market. These production lines operate continuously throughout theyear and only stop work for 7 - 10 days for maintenance.

“Sovigazeven had to refused to supply products to some enterprises collecting medical equipmentto sell to the Indian market as it prioritises the domestic market,” said TrinhAnh Phong, General Director of Sovigaz.

"Makeit your game"

Disinfectants,especially Chloramine B, are also crucial to the fight against the spread ofCOVID-19.

SouthBasic Chemicals JSC, a leading inorganic chemical manufacturer in Vietnam and amember of Vietnam National Chemical Group, has committed to ensuring output tomeet the rising demand for the chemical.

Itis the first Vietnamese company to complete research and successfullyproduce Chloramine B, which has been licensed by the Ministry of Health forcirculation.

Previously,Chloramine B was imported from the European Union and China. But inflatedprices due to disruptions in supply chains around the world during theoutbreak of COVID-19 pushed domestic companies to start producing thechemical.

Currently,South Basic Chemicals’ Chloramine B price is around 200,000 VND (8.7 USD)per kilo, which is only 60 percent of the cost of imported goods.

Asmost hospitals and schools in Vietnam use Chloramine B to disinfectand clean surfaces, this is an opportunity for developing the product andpromoting the use of Made-in-Vietnam goods.

“Atthe moment, the company can produce one tonne of Chloramine B per dayand we can raise production capacity, if necessary, to meetmarket demand,” South Basic Chemicals wrote in an email to Vietnam News.

Despitethe infections causing many difficulties for the company's productionactivities, it still finds solutions to overcome those challenges.

“Ouremployees have to divide into shifts to work online, while production andbusiness activities must comply with the 5K rules which are ‘Khau trang’ (facemask), ‘Khu khuan’ (disinfection), ‘Khoang cach’ (distance), ‘Khong tu tap’ (nogathering), and ‘Khai bao y te’ (health declaration),” the company said.

“Atthe same time, we diversify input materials' sources to reduce risk ofdisruption.”

Sovigaz,a member of Vietnam National Chemical Group, also guarantees to supplyenough chemical products, including Chloramine B, to meet demand of preventingCOVID-19, as well as commit to maintaining the price.

Ifcases continue to rise, it will be necessary to mobilise all medicalresources, especially equipment for prevention and disinfection, as wellas oxygen tanks and ventilators.

Therefore,the success of domestic enterprises in producing disinfectant products toreplace imported goods and the control of sources of oxygen are playing animportant part in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

However,Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19Prevention and Control, recently warned that Vietnam should not let itsguard down, saying that “we can’t afford to be negligent even when we havefully controlled our domestic medical resources at the moment."/.