Mumbai: Three naval ships to bring in oxygen from Persian Gulf

The Indian Navy’s three warships INS Kochi, INS Tabar and INS Trikand, ferrying liquid medical oxygen (LMO) and associated medical equipment from the Persian Gulf, are currently on their way to Mumbai as part of the mission Samudra Setu-II

The Indian Navy’s three warships INS Kochi, INS Tabar and INS Trikand, ferrying liquid medical oxygen (LMO) and associated medical equipment from the Persian Gulf, are currently on their way to Mumbai as part of the mission Samudra Setu-II.

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The Indian Navy had launched ‘Samudra Setu-II’ last month to meet the country’s oxygen requirement amid the surge in Covid-19 cases. As part of the mission, seven ships - INS (Indian Navy Ship) Kolkata, Kochi, Talwar, Tabar, Trikand, Jalashwa and Airavat have been deployed for shipment of oxygen-filled cryogenic containers and associated medical equipment from various countries.

INS Kochi and INS Tabar departed Kuwait and INS Trikand departed Doha on May 6 with a total of seven tanks, each of 20 tonnes (total 140 tonnes) liquid oxygen tanks and 14,000 oxygen cylinders, said Navy official.

INS Kolkata and INS Airavat are already en route from Kuwait and Singapore respectively with more than 4,000 oxygen cylinders, two containers each have 20 MT (40 tonnes) oxygen-filled containers and eight oxygen tanks. Earlier, Indian Naval Ship Talwar arrived at the port of New Mangalore in Karnataka on May 5 with the first consignment of 54 tons liquid oxygen tanks from Bahrain, said chief public relation officer (CPRO) and commander Mehul Karnik.

Also, a 26 member medical team including seven doctors, two nursing officers, two paramedics and 15 battlefield nursing assistants (BFNA) have been deputed from Eastern Naval Command (ENC) to augment the frontline medical team at Dhanvantari Covid hospital in Ahmedabad, added Karnik.

The medical personnel from various units of ENC were airlifted from Visakhapatnam to Ahmedabad on May 6. 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 the Indian Navy for duties at Covid hospitals established at New Delhi, Patna, Ahmedabad and Kavaratti island for providing aid to the civil population, said Karnik.