India to import oxygen generation plants from Germany amid COVID-induced supply crisis

New Delhi: Amid reports of shortage of oxygen in the hospitals during the second wave of Covid across the country, India will be importing oxygen generation plants and containers from Germany to cater for the shortage.

Government sources said that 23 mobile oxygen generation plants are being airlifted from Germany. These will be deployed in static hospitals and provide adequate oxygen to the needy.

Further, sources said that India is procuring a large number of oxygen containers for an adequate supply of oxygen in Delhi and other states.

The government planned to assign the Indian Air Force to airlift in oxygen containers and equipment from friendly nations.

The problem India, in importing oxygen, facing is transportation due to an acute deficiency of containers to carry. The government is in talks with all the stakeholders to get the containers.

The government had roped in the air force to airlift oxygen cylinders, regulators, and essential medicines as the national capital region faces shortage of oxygen cylinders and medicines.

The IAF started airlifting personnel, doctors and nursing staff to help the government battle the pandemic.

So far IAF has airlifted doctors and nursing staff from Kochi, Mumbai, Vizag and Bengaluru for setting up a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Covid hospital at Delhi. The force had also airlifted oxygen containers of DRDO from Bengaluru for Covid centres at Delhi.

On Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh directed all the defence establishments to set up more Covid-19 hospitals, use emergency powers and bring in retired personnel to tackle the crisis.

A roadmap on how military infrastructure can be used to ramp up the fight against Covid-19 was also discussed in a Covid preparedness review meeting chaired by the Minister.

Further after the directions of the government, Army hospital at Delhi Cantonment area has been converted into Covid facility for people infected with the virus in Delhi.

The DRDO had stated that they have set up a Covid hospital in Delhi with 250 beds, and the capacity will be increased to 500 and then 1,000 if required.

Rajnath Singh instructed more fully functional Covid hospitals to be set up in Lucknow, Patna, Varanasi and Ahmedabad within 8-10 days and also in other places where required.

He said that the ESIC Hospital, which was converted to Covid hospital in Patna, has started functioning with 500 beds. He added that work is on war footing to set up a 450-bed hospital in Lucknow, a 750-bed hospital in Varanasi and a 900-bed hospital in Ahmedabad.

There was also discussion on roping in retired military doctors and nursing staff for assistance if they volunteer.

The minister also had suggested utilising the services of vaccinated retired armed forces personnel to assist the civil administration and state governments to deal with the current situation.

(With inputs from IANS)