Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq is experiencing a shortage of medical-grade liquid oxygen, with prices rising by approximately 30% to 57%, from 575 Iraqi dinars ($0.44) per liter to between 750 and 900 dinars ($0.58-$0.69), oxygen suppliers told Shafaq News on Saturday.

The shortage follows the temporary shutdown of a local plant for maintenance, while limited domestic production has further constrained supplies. Suppliers urged the Health Ministry to secure alternative sources and ensure hospitals have enough oxygen to meet demand, warning that prices could rise further if the shortage persists, adding to supply costs for hospitals and other health facilities.

Liquid medical oxygen is used to treat patients with low blood oxygen levels, particularly in emergency departments, intensive care units, and operating rooms. It is also used with ventilators and delivered through masks and nasal cannulas.

Hospitals store oxygen as a liquid in specialized tanks before converting it into gas and distributing it through oxygen networks to different departments.

Read more: Iraq’s healthcare system nears collapse: Doctors leave, hospitals overflow