3 Indian Navy ships leave for Mumbai, oxygen in tow

As the demand for medical oxygen grows, three Indian warships have left the Persian Gulf on Thursday with oxygen supplies and heading for the port city of Mumbai.

While INS Kochi and INS Tabar had left Kuwait, INS Trikant had departed Doha - carrying a total of seven 20 tonnes (total 140 tonnes) liquid oxygen tanks and 1,400 oxygen cylinders.

Meanwhile, INS Kolkata and INS Airavat are already en route from Kuwait and Singapore, respectively, with more than 4,000 oxygen cylinders, two 20 tonnes (total 40 tonnes) oxygen filled containers and eight oxygen tanks.

On Wednesday, INS Talwar arrived at port of New Mangalore in Karnataka with the first consignment of 54 tonnes liquid oxygen tanks from Bahrain.

Meanwhile, a 26-member medical team including seven doctors, two nursing officers, two paramedics and 15 Battle Field Nursing Assistants (BFNA) have been deputed from Eastern Naval Command to augment the frontline medical team at Dhanvantari Covid Hospital, Ahmedabad. The medical personnel from various units of ENC were airlifted from Visakhapatnam to Ahmedabad on Thursday.

The 26 member team is in addition to 58 doctors, 30 nursing officers, 64 medical assistance and 62 Battle Field Nursing Assistance (BFNAs) deputed earlier by Indian Navy for duties at Covid Hospitals established at New Delhi, Patna, Ahmedabad and Kavaratti island for providing aid to the civil population.