The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Railways’ “Oxygen Train” are both helping in order to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, through transporting medical personnel, critical equipment, and essential medicines to COVID-19 hospitals and facilities across the country. India is currently facing a shortage in oxygen supply, with many hospitals around the country running out of O2.
In a statement on Twitter, the IAF said, “The IAF transport fleet is supporting the fight against Covid-19. Airlift of medical personnel, critical equipment, and medicines is underway for Covid Hospitals and facilities across the country.”
#IndiaFightsCorona
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 21, 2021
The IAF transport fleet is supporting the fight against Covid-19. Air lift of medical personnel, critical equipment and medicines is underway for Covid Hospitals and facilities across the country. pic.twitter.com/eBHv2yicyR
Indian Railways is now operating “Oxygen Express”, a train carrying oxygen tankers from Lucknow to Varanasi, which made the journey in just 4 hours 20 minutes, covering a distance of 270 Km at a speed of almost 62km/h.
मेेडिकल ऑक्सीजन लेकर लखनऊ से महज 4 घंटे 20 मिनट में वाराणसी पहुंची #OxygenExpress ; ग्रीन कॉरिडोर बनाकर करीब 62 किमी/घंटे की रफ़्तार से तय की गई 270 किमी की दूरी#IndiaFightsCOVID19 pic.twitter.com/q54TAWr1ye
— डीडी न्यूज़ (@DDNewsHindi) April 22, 2021
Railways Minister Piyush Goyal on Twitter announced the establishment of a green corridor along the tracks of the Oxygen Express in order to make sure the train travels faster and more smoothly, without any red signal stopping it.
उत्तर प्रदेश में ऑक्सीजन आपूर्ति हेतु लखनऊ से बोकारो में स्थित स्टील प्लांट के लिए चली ऑक्सीजन एक्सप्रेस वाराणसी से आगे निकल चुकी है
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) April 22, 2021
ट्रेन तेज गति से चले, इसके लिए रास्ते में ग्रीन कोरिडोर बनाया गया है, ताकि बिना किसी रेड सिग्नल के यह ट्रेन जल्द से जल्द अपने गंतव्य तक पहुंच सके। pic.twitter.com/HniNvKeYPL
Here are some images of Indian Railways carrying liquid oxygen from Lucknow to Bokaro which will be taken to Madhya Pradesh.
भारतीय रेल कोरोना की लड़ाई में ऑक्सीजन पहुंचाने के लिए निरंतर कार्यरत है :
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) April 21, 2021
इसी क्रम में लिक्विड ऑक्सीजन लाने हेतु ऑक्सीजन एक्सप्रेस को लखनऊ से बोकारो भेजा जा रहा है
जल्द ही ऑक्सीजन एक्सप्रेस से ऑक्सीजन मध्य प्रदेश भी पहुंचाया जायेगा#IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/nlnkAlKb8m
Tankers are being sent to plants for filing medical oxygen which is then being transported to hospitals.
Defense Minister told Armed Forces to be prepared for helping to combat COVID-19
In a recent virtual meeting, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh was briefed about the measures taken by AFMS, DRDO, Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), and other departments of the Ministry of Defence such as the National Cadet Corps (NCC) in providing aid to the civil administration in this time of need.
Rajnath Singh further urged the DPSUs, OFB, and DRDO to work on a war footing in order to provide oxygen cylinders and extra beds to civil administration and state governments as soon as possible.
India is also planning on importing oxygen tanks and other equipment from foreign countries, with the Central government is planning to utilize the IAF for airlifting oxygen containers and critical equipment and supplies from other countries.
The Central government announced on Wednesday evening that it was increasing the quota of oxygen in eight states, including Delhi, because of the sudden spike in demand due to a surge in the number of COVID-19 patients admitted in hospitals.
India has reported a total of 15,930,965 COVID-19 cases, with 13,454,880 recoveries and 184,672 deaths as of April 22, 2021.
