INDIA. Mumbai: As part of the ongoing Operation ‘Samudra Setu II’ to support the nation’s fight against COVID-19, the Indian Navy’s three ships returned to India with oxygen and medical supplies from Singapore, Kuwait, and Qatar on Monday.
“INS Airavat” arrived in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) with eight cryogenic oxygen tanks and approx 4000 oxygen cylinders along with other critical medical equipment/supplies from Singapore. “INS Trikand” was deployed to augment shipment of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) cryogenic containers from Hamad Port, Qatar, reached Mumbai(Maharashtra) with 40 MT of liquid medical oxygen. The consignment was part of the French mission “Oxygen Solidarity Bridge” to support India’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. “INS Kolkata” arrived at New Mangalore Port (Karnataka) with 400 bottles of Oxygen, two 27 MT containers of Liquid Medical Oxygen, and 47 concentrators that were embarked at Qatar and Kuwait.
While these ships entered ports to augment oxygen supply in three different states, two more warships are en route to India from Kuwait and one ship is at Brunei to embark on medical supplies.
The consignment which arrived in Mumbai was the maiden voyage of transshipping French Air Liquide containers from Qatar to India. The Indo-French initiative, facilitated by Ambassador of India in Qatar Dr. Deepak Mittal, is likely to result in the shipping of over 600 MT LMO to India over the next two months.
The consignment brought by “INS Trikand” was handed over to the Maharashtra state authorities in the presence of Maharashtra Tourism and Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray and Ms. Sonia Barbry, Consul General, French Consulate General, Mumbai.
These ships are part of nine ships deployed for COVID-19 relief Operation ‘Samudra Setu II’ for shipment of Liquid Medical Oxygen and associated medical equipment from friendly foreign countries in the Persian Gulf and southeast Asia. They are sailing in the Persian Gulf, in the Indian Ocean Region carrying back the most critical O2 for the COVID-19 patients.
Amidst the growing number of COVID-19 cases, the Indian Navy has stepped up its efforts to help in the transportation of relief materials including the most critical Oxygen tankers as well as other related materials.
Navy’s COVID-19 Care Centre
The COVID-19 Care Centre set up by the Indian Navy in Odisha. (Photo credit: Indian Navy).
In another development 150 bed COVID-19 Care Centre set up by the Indian Navy at Khurda district in Odisha, at its ab-initio Training Establishment, “INS Chilka”, under the aegis of Naval Officer-in-Charge, Odisha, was inaugurated by Khurda District Collector S K Mohanty on Monday. The 150-bed isolation center with an additional 15-bed oxygen facility at “INHS Nivarini”, the naval hospital, is geared up for treating mild symptomatic COVID-19 positive Patients. Dedicated doctors/ paramedical staff from the district medical authorities along with personnel from the station community will be functioning 24×7 at the COVID-19 Care Centre to provide adequate facilities and care to all its patients.
Comments are closed.