Oxygen Tanks, Air Purifier Sales Up By 600% In Southeast Asia Amid Indonesia Wildfires Haze

A haze caused by Indonesian wildfires has led to a surge in demand for oxygen tanks and air purifiers across Southeast Asia, according to manufacturers. The months-long haze has caused school closures and exacerbated respiratory complaints, prompting families to purchase protective devices. At AA Alive, a medical equipment company near Kuala Lumpur, sales of oxygen bottles have skyrocketed, with a 35 per cent increase attributed to the haze.

Rafina Firdaus, a sales team member, stated that employees are working at full capacity to meet the demand. AA Alive provides both oxygen tanks, which run for about three hours, and oxygen concentrators, usable for up to 24 hours. Md Noor Bujang, a 69-year-old patient, received his first oxygen concentrator after spending over a month in the hospital, noting that he would have difficulty breathing without it.

Mubassar Khan, a technician at AA Alive, mentioned that the filter lifespan of an oxygen concentrator has been halved due to the pollutants from the haze. The company is delivering around 40 rental units daily, with experts warning that prolonged exposure to haze pollutants could result in long-term health issues, particularly for children.

Air purifier retailers have also reported a sharp rise in demand, with sales increasing by up to 600 per cent at Courts, a regional consumer electronics retailer.