Noida gets IAF support to meet oxygen demand

NEW DELHI: The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration on Thursday said the Indian Air Force (IAF) is helping the district with the movement of medical oxygen amid a growing demand for it due to a rising number of COVID-19 cases.

The administration said it has launched “Mission Sanjeevani” for meeting the oxygen requirements of the coronavirus patients and a request was made to the IAF, which is helping with the quick transport of the life-saving gas from far-off states.

“As many as 250 oxygen cylinders have been procured from Chennai and transported to the Hindon air base (in adjoining Ghaziabad district) with the help of the IAF. Rapid response teams (RRTs) are monitoring the situation to ensure that there is no shortage of oxygen in any hospitals of Gautam Buddh Nagar,” District Magistrate (DM) Suhas L Y said.

“The IAF is also helping in sending two tankers with a capacity of 20 metric tonnes and 15 metric tonnes — totalling 35 metric tonnes– to Ranchi and Jamshedpur for oxygen procurement. These tankers will come by road to Gautam Buddh Nagar after procuring oxygen,” he was quoted as saying in an official statement.

The request to the IAF for the job was made under provisions of the Disaster Management Act, Suhas said.

The IAS officer said once the oxygen from Ranchi and Jamshedpur in Jharkhand arrives, it will be distributed to various hospitals, for the patients in home isolation through resident welfare associations (RWAs) and apartment owners’ associations (AOAs).

He said the RWAs and AOAs are also setting up isolation centres on their premises, where oxygen availability to coronavirus patients will be ensured through the Noida Authority and the Greater Noida Authority.

The DM applauded the individuals, NGOs, voluntary groups, RWAs and AOAs that are engaged in arranging oxygen concentrators for the patients.

“The administration is also in touch with industrial units and making efforts to set up oxygen-manufacturing plants through the Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) mechanism within the district under the ‘Make in Noida, Make for Noida’ initiative,” he said.

Gautam Buddh Nagar adjoining Delhi is one of the worst COVID-hit districts in Uttar Pradesh. It has so far recorded 284 deaths due to the viral disease and over 8,500 active patients.

The residents of the district have been claiming a shortage of healthcare resources, including medicines, oxygen and beds in hospitals, even as the administration continues to refute such claims.