Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 7) — The Department of Health on Wednesday appealed to the public not to buy oxygen tanks without a doctor’s advice, saying this is “not rational.”
“Ang ating mga kababayan (To our fellow Filipinos), you can always call your local governments, your doctors, if they advise you na kailangan ng (that you need) oxygen tank then that is the time you get oxygen tank,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a briefing.
“I know how you feel right now, but this is not rational,” she added.
Vergeire also asked suppliers to only sell oxygen tanks to healthcare facilities.
She was reacting to reports that some people are buying oxygen tanks in case they will be infected with the coronavirus.
The health official said improper use of this medical device may cause people “harm,” adding that facilities may face a shortage of oxygen tanks if more individuals without health problems will procure them.
