JOIN USCovid-19: Goa to tap oxygen from steel units in Bellary
After tapping 20,000 litres of liquid oxygen from Kerala, steel units in Karnataka’s Ballari district may help Goa tide over possible oxygen shortage in the state, which has witnessed a severe spike in Covid-19 cases over the last two weeks.
According to Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, going by the current rate of infections in the state, the requirement of oxygen would double.
Oxygen is a critical part of the treatment of severe Covid-19 patients, who suffer from shortness of breath.
“The government is trying its best to increase its oxygen capacity. We have roped in all the companies, which were providing oxygen to us, to help us a bit to take care of GMC (Goa Medical College),” Rane said. The GMC is the top state government medical facility in the state.
“As far as the requirement of oxygen goes, our forecast for the future is double of what we are using today... I was told there are companies, like JSW in Ballari district which has industrial oxygen supply... They can give us oxygen which can be put to use here,” Rane
said.
On Sunday, the state government had managed to procure 20,000 litres of liquid oxygen from Kerala.
According to Rane, the state’s two top medical facilities -- the GMC and the South Goa district hospital -- consume around 63 trolleys of oxygen per day. Each trolley accounts for 150 cylinders and the requirement for the future would be even more.
“There is a short supply (of oxygen) across India. The situation is expected to worsen,” Rane said.