Demand for oxygen bottles and air purifiers surges as Indonesian wildfire haze ravages Southeast Asia

Manufacturers say toxic haze from wildfires in Indonesia has fueled a surge in demand for oxygen bottles and air purifiers across the region, and they are working around the clock to provide life-saving clean air equipment.

Agence France-Presse reported that the haze that has lasted for several months has shrouded parts of Southeast Asia, forcing schools to close and causing an increase in respiratory disease cases. Many families are snapping up devices in the hope of keeping their indoor air clean.

At AA Alive, a medical equipment company in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur, employees are working at full speed to deliver oxygen bottles. Company executives said sales of oxygen bottles are rising rapidly.

Rafina Firdaus, a member of AA Alive's business team, said during AFP's visit: "Affected by the haze, our sales increased by 35%. When I first joined the industry, I was surprised to see so many patients needing oxygen cylinders."

AA Alive provides oxygen bottles and oxygen concentrators for patients to use. The oxygen cylinder can be used continuously for about 3 hours, and the oxygen concentrator can be used for about 24 hours.

Md Noor Bin Bujang, 69, received his first oxygen concentrator on the evening of the 15th after being hospitalized for more than a month.

He told AFP that without the oxygen supply equipment, he would be "short of breath, especially during haze periods."

Mubassar Khan, a 26-year-old technician at AA Alive, said that the oxygen concentrator filter usually needs to be replaced after 1,000 hours of use, but the pollutants in the haze have shortened the filter life by half.