India is now importing mobile oxygen generation plants and containers from Germany for deployment at the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) hospitals treating Covid-19 patients. India will airlift 23 oxygen generation plants and containers from Germany. These plants and containers are likely to reach here in a week.
They will be transported to Covid facilities run by the Defence Ministry and other military hospitals to provide sufficient oxygen to patients. “23 mobile oxygen generation plants are being airlifted from Germany. The Armed Forces Medical Service has decided to import oxygen generation plants and containers from Germany to cater to the shortage,” a statement from the Ministry of Defence said. “They will be deployed in AFMS hospitals catering to Covid patients. Each plant can produce 40 litres of oxygen per minute. At this rate, it can cater to 20-25 patients round the clock. The advantage is that they are easily portable,” it said. Each plant has a capacity to produce 40 litres of oxygen per minute and 2,400 litres an hour and it can cater to 20-25 patients round-the-clock. In addition, to meet the growing demand for hospital beds amidst the second wave of Covid-19, the Indian Army has decided to add 400 beds to its Covid-19 facility at Base Hospital in Delhi Cantt. So far, there are 258 oxygenated beds that are occupied. The number of these oxygenated beds has been enhanced in the last few days, an official said.
In Patna, a Covid hospital with 500 beds is functional and work is on to set up a 450-bed hospital in Lucknow, 750-bed hospital in Varanasi and 900-bed hospital in Ahmedabad. In another important decision, the Ministry of Defence is giving extension to Short Service Commissioned Doctors in AFMS till December 31, 2021 to tide over the current surge in medical services.
