Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday flagged off vehicles carrying 1,400 imported oxygen cylinders and regulators to 18 districts across the State, to aid efforts in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.
These oxygen cylinders and regulators, imported from Singapore would be sent to Cuddalore (100), Sivaganga (100), Tiruvannamalai (100), Dharmapuri (75), Dindigul (75), Kallakurichi (75), Kanniyakumari (75), Karur (75), Nagapattinam (75), Namakkal (75), Ramanathapuram (75), Theni (75), The Nilgiris (75), Tirupattur (75), Tiruvarur (75), Villupuram (75), Virudhunagar (75) and Ranipet (50).
The Tamil Nadu government has issued orders for procuring 1,915 oxygen cylinders, 2,380 oxygen regulators, 3,250 medical oxygen flow meters, 5,000 oxygen concentrators and 800 filled cylinders at a total cost of ₹40.71 crore, an official release stated. Of these, 515 oxygen cylinders, 1,780 oxygen regulators and 250 medical oxygen flow meters have been imported so far. “Steps have been taken to ensure the remaining orders are received at the earliest,” the release said.
The State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (SIPCOT) has also sourced flow meters with humidifiers, copper pipes, outlets and manifolds from local suppliers at ₹4.33 crore to help State-run hospitals convert ordinary beds into those with oxygen supply. “So far, 1,000 ordinary beds in government hospitals in Chennai have been equipped with oxygen supply,” the release said.
SIPCOT has also sourced 2,000 empty cylinders from industrial units located in SIPCOT industrial parks and supplied them to Chennai (1,010), Thoothukudi (250), Sivaganga (130), Tiruvallur (130), Krishnagiri (100), Thanjavur (100), Vellore (100), Villupuram (100), Chengalpattu (60) and Tirupattur (20) after filling them with oxygen.
Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu, Rural Industries Minister T.M. Anbarasan, Sriperumbudur MP T.R. Baalu, Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu and senior officials were also present.
