Telangana receives first batch of medical oxygen from Odisha

Telangana on Monday received the first batch of tankers loaded with medical oxygen, meant for Covid-19 positive patients from Rourkela Steel Plant of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), Odisha.

The tankers were specially flown to Odisha in two C17 cargo aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Friday from Begumpet Airport. Within three days, five tankers loaded with medical oxygen have reached Telangana from Odisha, thus reducing the travel time by three to four days.

By Monday night, the five tankers reached Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS), Gachibowli, District Hospital, King Kothi, Chest Hospital, Erragadda and Government hospitals in Khammam, Karimnagar and area hospital in Cherlapally.

Senior health officials said that four more tankers, loaded with medical oxygen, are expected to arrive from Odisha on Tuesday. Overall, the nine tankers that were



airlifted to Odisha will bring back about 150 tonnes of oxygen for critical Covid patients in Telangana. The Centre had allotted close to 360 tonnes of oxygen to Telangana from 12 steel industries spread across the country. Apart from Odisha, more stock of medical oxygen will be transported to Telangana from steel plants located Hospet and Bellary in Karnataka and Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.

After last year’s Covid pandemic, the State health authorities had managed to establish a huge oxygen tanker within the campus of Gandhi Hospital while there were proposals to establish similar facilities at Warangal, King Koti, Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, Mehdipatnam, OGH, Fever Hospital and Chest Hospital in Erragadda. In January, the Centre gave a nod to establish five medical oxygen generation plants under Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistant and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund Trust.