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What is expected to provide the much-awaited replenishment to the existing oxygen shortage in Uttar Pradesh, the special Oxygen Express train from Bokaro, carrying four tankers capable of holding 20,000 litres each, reached Lucknow on Saturday morning. One of the tankers is for ensuring smooth flow of oxygen in Varanasi while the rest three are for Lucknow. Of the three tankers delivered in the state capital, one is slated to be rushed to Kanpur, as the city was facing an acute shortage.
A senior government official said on Saturday that the special train reached Lucknow around 7am and the tankers were dispatched to designated places. However another Oxygen Express train with four tankers left for Bokaro at 530 am on Saturday morning, to bring in liquid oxygen from the steel plant to Lucknow by Monday. The Indian Railways have specially built a green corridor for these special trains.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated a digital platform ‘Oxygen Monitoring System for UP’ for all government and private hospitals in Lucknow on Friday night. UP is the first state to introduce this system.
Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Awanish Kumar Awasthi said in Lucknow on Saturday, “The platform has been launched in collaboration with Food Safety and Drug Administration, Medical Education Department, Medical Health and Family Welfare Department, Transport and Home Departments and Rodic Consultants Pvt Ltd. Representatives of this company will be present in government and private hospitals to ensure smooth supply of oxygen in a timely manner."
A web portal/link has been created to be used by officers and employees associated with the oxygen supply chain. Representatives of the company will be required to upload oxygen requirement details of the hospital on the portal. Once done, the nearest vehicle engaged in oxygen supply will be sent to the hospital. The online system aims at solving the issue of demand for oxygen and save time taken to reach the scheduled vehicle.
“The software's dashboard will analyse and inform if the tanker is getting delayed - either in filling or in transportation. We will create an app which will be installed in the driver's mobile phone to act as GPS," Awasthi added.
With the launching of the digital platform, locating vehicles delivering oxygen as well as real-time monitoring and tracking will be made possible. Representatives of the company will also be present at refill stations and cooperate. Efforts are also being made to generate sufficient numbers of drivers on every oxygen vehicle to ensure speedy delivery. The new initiative comes amidst the acute shortage of medical oxygen that various states are facing.