PSUs help tackle Covid crisis
RINL has dispatched 4,300 tonne of liquid medical oxygen since April 13 and 13,150 tonne of LMO since the onset of the pandemic. It is constructing a 1,000-bed Covid Care Hospital in Visakhapatnam. SAIL has supplied 51,128 tonne of LMO to the nation. It has dispatched 7.79 tonne LMO to West Bengal
image for illustrative purpose
Visakhapatnam Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is among the leading PSUs, which has contributed significantly for the cause of the nation during the Covid-19 second wave. The Navratna company has dispatched 4,300 tonne of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) since April 13 and 13,150 tonne of LMO since the onset of the pandemic.
In a tweet, RINL through its handle@RINL_VSP stated 166 tonne had been dispatched to various destinations in Andhra Pradesh and 14 tonne to Karnataka in the last 24 hours. As per the data compiled by Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE), RINL is also constructing a 1,000-bed Covid Care Hospital in Visakhapatnam - the first to provide such a big facility at one place in the city.
It may be recalled that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had cleared the proposal for 100 per cent disinvestment of RINL, its joint ventures and subsidiaries by way of privatisation. During the second wave, SCOPE complilation says NTPC has provided oxygen concentrators, oxygen generating systems and CT scan machines for government hospitals at various locations. It is also offering 538 oxygen beds. SAIL, the public sector steel giant, has supplied 51,128 tonne of LMO to the nation. It has dispatched 7.79 tonne LMO to West Bengal.
National Aluminium Company (Nalco), which has its refinery at Damonjodi and smelter complex in neighbouring State Odisha, is credited with providing refrigerated truck to supply 25.70 lakh Covid vaccines to State Immunisation Cell for smooth transportation. The company supported for procurement of two ventilator ambulances to State Health Department and digital X-ray machine to a hospital in Bhubaneswar, started exclusive Covid care centre at Damonjodi, Angul and Nabarangapur.
NMDC, which has headquarters in Hyderabad, has provided 10 oxygen concentrators, masks, PPE kits, surgical caps, face shields and hand gloves to a Covid care centre in MP, donated oxygen filled cylinders, pulse oximeters in Rajasthan and established 30-bed Covid care centre in Jharkhand.
Indian Oil is another PSU which is supplying high-purity oxygen from Panipat Refinery, converted 14 LNG tankers into medical grade oxygen carriers to position 23 road tankers and 26 ISO containers for transportation of LMO. The SCOPE complilation stated that the oil firm is manufacturing 10 cryogenic road tankers at Nasik plant and temporary Covid care centre being constructed at Panipat Refinery.
BPCL has provided vaccination related cold chain equipment in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. It provided PSA oxygen plants of 1,000 LPM capacity in two hospitals in Maharashtra, 1500 LPM in three hospitals in Kerala and 5,715 LPM (litres per minute) in five hospitals in Madhya Pradesh.
Engineers India Ltd (EIL) is supplying seven medical grade oxygen generation plants to government hospitals in Karnataka and is setting up a 30-bed Covid care facility at Gurugram.
Container Corporation of India (Concor) has been providing departing and handling Oxygen Express carrying LMO from Durgapur in West Bengal and several other parts in the country for New Delhi regularly. Other PSUs including IREDA, NBCC, MRPL, RITES and Hindustan Copper Limited have also contributed their might for the cause of the nation in tackling the Covid crisis.
