Andhra asks Eastern Naval Command to maintain oxygen plants in state hospitals

The Navy has agreed to extend technical assistance to the state government in maintaining oxygen plants. It has also agreed to transport 25 cryogenic oxygen cylinders, which are coming to the state from Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.

The Andhra Pradesh government has requested the Eastern Naval Command to operate and maintain oxygen plants in all government and teaching hospitals across the state, it is learnt.

A meeting on supply, storage and maintenance of oxygen plans in the state was held on Saturday between state government’s representative M T Krishna Babu with Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of ENC Vice-Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, and officials of Vizag Steel Plant.

At the meeting it was decided that the Eastern Naval Command will take the responsibility of fixing leakages in oxygen plants, maintaining their condition and the precautions to be taken. Four special teams have been formed and each team has to cater to three to four districts. Arrangements are being made to airlift these teams to the required locations if necessary. These teams will fix problems in supply of oxygen and solve other problems.

The Navy has agreed to extend technical assistance to the state government in maintaining oxygen plants. It has also agreed to transport 25 cryogenic oxygen cylinders, which are coming to the state from Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.

The Navy officials have approved to provide special vehicles for transportation of liquid medical oxygen containers for regular use and oxygen concentrators, D- type oxygen cylinders and other medical equipment required for covid treatment.

Officials of Eastern Naval Command have agreed to allot 10 oxygen beds along with 60 normal beds for COVID treatment in INS Kalinga Hospital. They have also agreed to develop infrastructure facilities for 150-bed temporary Covid hospital in Kancharapalem of Visakhapatnam district and requested the district administration to arrange the required doctors and medical staff. The Navy has come forward to donate 200 D-type cylinders.

Meanwhile, the steel plant officials informed the state government that only 100 metric tons of MLO is being produced in two units of the plant, which have the capacity of producing 850 metric tons. The steel plant officials said though the oxygen plant was completed in 2013, discussions were going on regarding hiring contractors to run the plant, and it will be operational in the next six months. A special committee of contracting agencies will study the situation of the plant within a week.

Meanwhile, the Vizag Steel Plant (VSP) has agreed to set up a 50-bed hospital with oxygen facility for Covid treatment at Gurajada Kalakshetram in Visakhapatnam. Vizag Steel Plant officials said that an additional 150 beds will be arranged in that hospital by May 15. The Steel Plant officials said 250 beds will be available by May 30 and 600 beds by June in that hospital and requested the district administration to ensure required doctors and media staff are available accordingly.

The state government has provided 4,000 Covid vaccine doses to ENC and Vizag Steel Plant.

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