Bengaluru: The Indian Navy has provided Oxygen on Wheels to Palasa COVID Care Centre, Andhra Pradesh. It was designed by Naval Dockyard, was formally inaugurated at the Palasa, Covid Care Centre by Seediri Appalaraju, hon'ble minister of animal husbandry & dairy development & fisheries. 

The 'Oxygen on Wheels' has been connected up with the Oxygen pipeline in the Covid Health Care Centre at Palasa by a team of specialists from Naval Dockyard Visakhapatnam and it provides oxygen round the clock for up to 12 patients admitted in the hospital. The team has also trained hospital staff in the operation of the plant.

How it works: 

‘Oxygen on Wheels’ is a unique initiative launched by the Naval Dockyard wherein a PSA Oxygen Plant was integrated on a mobile platform to serve remote hospitals and was formally launched at Visakhapatnam by Vice Adm AB Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, ENC on 20 May 21.

Oxygen Express: 

While oxygen on wheels is a unique concept by the Indian navy, it is also worth noting how the Indian Railways has been catering to the oxygen demands in several states. 

The Indian Railways has been running what’s called oxygen express to help cater to the oxygen needs in different parts of the country. 

Oxygen Expresses have been delivering nearly 800 MT of LMO to the Nation each day for last few days.

It is Indian Railways endeavour to deliver as much LMO as possible in the shortest time possible to the requesting states.

Oxygen relief by Oxygen Expresses reached out to 13 states namely Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Telangana, Punjab, Kerala, Delhi & Uttar Pradesh.

It may be noted that Oxygen Expresses started their deliveries on 24th April in Maharashtra with a load of 126 MT.

Criss-crossing the country, Indian Railways is picking up oxygen from places like Hapa, Baroda, Mundra in the West and Rourkela, Durgapur, Tatanagar, Angul in the East and then delivering it to States of Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Telangana, Punjab, Kerala, Delhi & Uttar Pradesh in complex operational route planning scenarios.