*Pakistan’s Federal Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain stated thatthe government would consider importing oxygen from China and Iran, if thegrowing number of coronavirus cases leads to oxygen shortages.*

In a press briefing, the minister stated that “The government was alsoconsidering import of oxygen from China and Iran if the need arose”, addingthat “Currently Pakistan was producing 792 metric tons of oxygen to meetthe requirement of COVID-19 patients”.

“The situation in Pakistan would have [been] different had it not increased7,000 ventilator beds and doubled the production of oxygen during the lastone year,” the minister mentioned, adding that the cabinet also decidedthat the oxygen supply meant for the industrial sector would be diverted tothe health sector “if the situation worsened”.

Meanwhile, the country’s southern Sindh province has decided to banelective surgeries to divert oxygen to coronavirus patients, according toMurtaza Wahab, Advisor to Chief Minister Sindh on Law and Environment.

Authorities in Islamabad, have also suspended all scheduled routinesurgeries at public hospitals to divert available oxygen supplies to thosesuffering from COVID-19, as reported by *Geo News*.

About 5,075 coronavirus patients are currently in critical care inPakistan, which is the highest number since the pandemic began in Februarylast year.