First time in the country, a freighter from China landed at the Biju Patnaik International Airport on Sunday morning with 1,350 medical oxygen cylinders, thanks to the effort of chief of State Level Task Force for Oxygen Management Asit Tripathy.

While nearly 8,000 oxygen cylinders are coming by the sea route, importing oxygen cylinders through air requires a number of critical logistic issues.

The task force has neen formed to ensure oxygen security in the State, where due to Covid t the demand of medical oxygen has gone high. Daily, 250 metric tonnes of oxygen is consumed at Covid Hospitals.

Taking short-term measures, the task force has added 14,000 cylinders in two months’ time and the stock has gone up to 32,000 cylinders.  With more cylinders being imported, the stock would certainly rise in a big way. Besides, planning and implementation of in-situ production and distribution of medical oxygen in health facilities through piping system is being looked into.  In fact, the task force is also planning for a long-term medical oxygen security in the State, said a senior officer.

In fact, continuing its efforts to support the Government of Odisha in the fight against Covid-19, the Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India), a joint venture between Arcelor Mittal and Nippon Steel, donated these oxygen cylinders. The essential medical equipment imported from China was handed over to IPICOL MD Nitin Bhanudas Jawale in the presence of the Chief Minister’s Principal Advisor Asit Tripathy and Industries Principal Secretary Hemant Sharma.

On behalf of AM/NS India, Corporate Affairs (Odisha Operations) Head Lakshmi Mahapatra was present. 

Company sources said a second set of consignment of 3,800 units is being shipped now and would reach here in June second week