India To Airlift 23 Oxygen Generating Plants From Germany

New Delhi: The Armed Forces Medical Service (AFMS) has decided to import oxygen generation plants and containers from Germany to meet critical requirements. These oxygen-generating plants are expected to be here within a week, said Ministry of Defence spokesperson Bharat Bhushan Babu on Friday.

The oxygen units will be deployed only at military hospitals that are straining under an increased load of serving personnel and retired veterans. Fresh instructions and revised protocols were issued by service headquarters last week to help mitigate the spread of infections.

“These 23 mobile oxygen generation plants are being airlifted from Germany. These will be deployed in AFMS hospitals catering to the COVID patients,” The Tribune quoted Babu said.

At a high-level review meeting on April 20, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh directed the Armed Forces to go ahead with the procurement of critical medical requirements under emergency powers of procurement.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation has also pitched in with oxygen generation plants and associated equipment produced by it. The onboard oxygen generation plant developed for the Tejas fighter has also been adapted for medical use.

IAF aircraft as well as Army’s railway wagons have also been pressed into service to ferry oxygen tankers and oxygen cylinders along with other essential items to various parts of the country. Military medical facilities are also open to treating civilian patients.