In a move that will help augment medical oxygen supply and meet the burgeoning demand for the lifesaving gas amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the ITC’s Paperboards & Specialty Papers Division (PSPD) unit near Bhadrachalam has given its nod to supply five metric tonnes of oxygen to Khammam district every day.
Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar has taken the initiative to arrange a liquid oxygen tanker of five MT capacity from the Transport Department to bring the consignment of oxygen from the ITC’s paper mill near Bhadrachalam in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district to the District Headquarters Hospital here every day, sources said.
Growing demand
The arrangement will help cater to the growing demand for medical oxygen in the midst of the second wave of coronavirus infections.
The District Headquarters Hospital has become self-sufficient in meeting the medical oxygen requirements of the critically-ill inpatients of the hospital following the operationalisation of the Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) plant at the hospital recently, sources added.
The hospital already has 13,000 litres capacity Liquid Oxygen Tank (LOT).
Timely gesture
The ITC paper mill’s timely initiative to supply five MT of oxygen every day will further enhance the availability of oxygen stocks in the State-run major public healthcare facility in Khammam, sources in the hospital said.
All the 320 beds at the COVID-19 ward at the hospital are almost full.
Flagged off
The Minister flagged off the five MT liquid oxygen tanker at the District Headquarters Hospital premises here on Thursday. Collector R V Karnan, Khammam Police Commissioner Vishnu S Warrier, Additional Collector N Madhusudhan, District Medical and Health Officer Dr Malathi, hospital superintendent Dr Venkateshwarlu and others were present on the occasion.
